Our Love Is Here To Stay
by Potikanda
Summary: Sequel to Lullaby Lane. Ten years after marrying Blaine and adopting three gorgeous girls, what has Kurt Hummel-Anderson's life come to? Share with us as he explores the ins and outs of the female teenage mind! Rated M for later possible smut.
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome one and all to the first chapter of Our Love Is Here To Stay, the sequel to Lullaby Lane. Let me begin with a HUGE thank you to everyone who favorited, reviewed and alerted it, and especially to the guys and girls on Twitter, who squealed so much over Lullaby that I just had to begin writing the sequel! Thank you also to my amazing Beta, GleekMom, who proved to me that yes, a beta is really someone I should have had all along! This story takes place ten years after Lullaby ends, and we get the opportunity to see the Hummel-Anderson clan from a whole new perspective: The Teenage Years. **

**As always, I own none of it, Glee, Kurt and Blaine or the ideas swimming around in my head. Oh wait, maybe I do own those... XD**

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><p>"Woah, woah woah!" Kurt Hummel-Anderson leaned backwards, nearly over-balancing as he watched his three beautiful girls skipping down the stairs to the main floor.<p>

Sixteen-year-old Katherine came first, as usual. Her tank top barely met the bottom of her bra. _Could that even be considered a tank top_, Kurt wondered. And Kurt swore the mini skirt she was wearing flashed him a bit of her nether regions as she skipped down the stairs. Also as usual, fifteen-year-old Penny came next, her ample bosom gathered up in a definitely-not-appropriate-for-school halter top, with pants so tight that Kurt was certain she must be a vampire because she couldn't possibly breathe in those jeans. Only thirteen-year-old Jessica looked decent, but that was mostly because she was as shy as anything, and never wandered anywhere looking like her sisters.

"Okay, Katie, Penny, you are _not_ going to school looking like that." The two girls groaned, and rolled their eyes at him. "Don't give me that look, girls, or your father will hear about it," He threatened. Not that it would do much good telling Blaine; he'd just look at him and say girls will be girls. He loved Blaine dearly, with all his heart, but the man couldn't say no to his precious daughters if his life depended on it.

"Oh, right, Daddy," Penny sniped at him, her eyes rolling again, her hand finding it's way to her hip as she posed. "Like Dad would _ever_ do anything to us," She smiled at Katherine, and they nodded together. Kurt snapped; he was tired of the disrespect he got from those girls, and it was ending, _now._

"If you do not go upstairs and change into the decent clothes that I _know_ you have stashed up there, I will take every piece of clothing you own away from you, and will give you only what you need to wear for the day. And you _will not_ like the combinations I give you," he growled, his voice lowering and sending chills down the spines of the two suddenly very compliant girls. They knew he was good for it; they'd seen what happened when Daddy Blaine had bought a ridiculous pair of bright orange pants with a green shirt. Really, what _had_ he been thinking? They ran upstairs and Kurt turned his eyes to his youngest daughter.

"Good morning, Jessica," He smiled at the girl, who nearly looked him in the eyes. Of the three girls, she was the tallest. At thirteen, she was still growing, and she had almost matched his five-nine already. Penny was only five-six, and Katherine was still quite small at five-four. He smiled at her again, when she leaned forward and gave him a small hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"It's nice to know you don't spoil them," She said, her soft voice surprising him as always with its kindness and gentle tone. She had always been shy, ever since she was little, even with her own sisters and fathers. Her grandfather was the only exception. Burt had always been the one person to whom she never had any problem relating. Jessica placed a hand on Kurt's arm, looking at him while he turned the pancakes on the stove. "And good morning, Daddy," she replied softly, pulling out a plate and allowing him to settle a couple of pancakes on it before retreating to the dining room.

Within minutes, the other two girls bounded back down the stairs, both dressed in more respectable clothing. Kurt sighed. He truly wished Blaine hadn't been called away for a business meeting on the first day of school, but he knew Blaine was an important man in the company. He had gone from hiring marketing geniuses to becoming one in a matter of a few years, and was now one of the Vice Presidents for the corporation. Luckily, most of his work could be done from home.

Blaine and Kurt had opted to return to Ohio, once the girls grew up a little. Blaine had gone to school there, and Kurt had grown up there, and to be honest, they both missed it quite a bit. Blaine had been happy to move to Lima, but Kurt wasn't ready to face his memories just yet. And he knew how his little family would be perceived by the people there. So they chose a large house, just outside of Columbus. They were still close enough to visit Kurt's parent's whenever they wanted, but also near enough to a major city that their marriage wouldn't be construed as unusual.

Katherine and Penny looked at Kurt, who deposited a couple of pancakes on each plate, quirking his eyebrows when Katherine sighed loudly.

"And what, pray tell, does that mean, young lady?" He asked archly, his eyes travelling back and forth between the two girls.

"Coach Sylvester says too many carbs will make us look like hippos," Katherine recited, snapping her gum and looking bored with the whole mess. Kurt grimaced, shaking his head and walking back to the stove_. Wonderful. Now Sue was getting her claws into his girls_, he thought. It was bad enough that she had been fired from McKinley for trying to get a whole squadron of girls psyched up for a championship by having a bonfire in the middle of the football field. It might have gone smoother if there hadn't been a game going on at the same time, but hey, it had been exciting! And when she had been hired at the same school the girls went to, he had been nervous at first. Now, he was downright terrified for his girls. He knew exactly what Sue could do to his girls, and he was _very _protective of them. He looked at the girls one more time, and threw up his hands in the air in defeat.

"Fine, whatever," he snapped at them, and their eyes got very round as he turned off the stove and stormed down the hallway to the bedroom he shared with Blaine. The girls looked at each other, and then at Jessica, who continued to eat calmly.

"What's the matter with him?" Penny asked acerbically, her normally cool exterior flailing for a moment as she tried to discern what was wrong with her father.

"Dunno," Katherine answered, and then both turned as Jessica began speaking.

"I'd expect he's slightly angry at the fact that you two have been on his case since Dad left. You barely eat anything except those stupid drinks Coach Sylvester gives you. He's been crying late at night for the past few days, so I'm assuming he misses Dad a bunch. And he got up this morning specifically to make you guys your favourite breakfast and you just threw it in his face." She calmly cut another piece from her plate, and chewed it thoughtfully. "And I heard him talking to Dad the other day, and he feels like he isn't contributing to the household, and it's making him upset. He feels useless, and I can't say as I blame him. You've made his life a living hell, and he's frustrated," she added, her eyes locking on those of her two older sisters. They looked guiltily at each other, and then slowly sat down at the table. They grabbed their forks and began eating, as Jess cleared her plate, rinsed it and put it in the dishwasher.

"You guys should know," She turned around, looking at them carefully. "When Daddy finally figures out what he is supposed to do with the rest of his life, it may not include us. We aren't his real children, you know. If you really want to keep acting this way, we might lose him," And with that scary thought in their heads, she wandered off, back up to her room to read some more.

Penny and Katherine looked at each other, frightened. They loved Daddy, just as much as they loved Dad. They didn't want to lose him, not ever. Who would go shopping with them? Who would help them decide what to wear? Who would they be able to giggle over the fall fashions from Vogue magazine with? Dad was cool, but not to the same standards as Daddy was, and they both considered that while scarfing down their breakfast.

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><p>Kurt lay down on the bed, his arm thrown over his eyes in disgust. He had worked hard to make a great morning for his girls, and they had just ruined it. A soft sob came from the back of his throat, and he was glad he had shut the door. He didn't want the girls to catch him crying. <em>Crying,<em> for God's Sake! Over _pancakes_! He was pathetic. The hot burning of tears behind his eyes threatened to overwhelm him again, and he struggled to stay calm.

He was a leech. He didn't feel like he was bringing anything to this family anymore. The girls were old enough now not to need him for anything. He was stuck at home most of the time, never getting out and doing anything. Even his friends had stopped calling. It was too far to try and get together with anyone for coffee, and anyone coming through Columbus didn't usually have time to stop for a visit. He spent a lot of time painting, and writing, but he wasn't good enough at either to be able to sell anything. It was just a hobby for him. The only thing he had ever been any good at was being a parent to those girls, and now he couldn't even do that.

God, he was a washed up failure at thirty-nine! Not even forty yet, and his life was finished. He curled up onto his side and began to sob in earnest.

After a few minutes, he heard a soft knock at his bedroom door. Leaping up in surprise, he dashed into the bathroom to splash some water on his face.

"Be right there!" He called, as he looked in the mirror. His eyes were red, his face blotchy, and his hair was a disaster. He sighed. Yet another opportunity for fashion my ass, he thought to himself. He walked slowly to the door, and opened it a crack, noting the two older girls there.

"Can I help you?" He asked, his voice cracking just a little from the rough state of his throat. His eyebrows lifted as the girls in front of him began to cry too. He opened his door, and pulled them both into a rough hug.

"Don't l-leave us, D-Daddy," Penny sobbed, her tears soaking the collar of his shirt, her hands grasping at his waist. Katherine nodded, her tears soaking into the shoulder of his shirt. He looked down at the set of girls in his arms.

"What do you mean, don't leave you?" He asked gently, tilting each face up to look in their eyes. "I'm not going anywhere," He added softly, hugging them both much closer than he had in a long time. "I love you guys. I love your sister and father, too," he added, his tears beginning to stream down his face again.

"Jessica said you would l-leave if we don't b-behave," Katherine sobbed, her trembling hands wrapped so far around her father that Kurt was sure she'd never let go.

"We ate the pancakes you made," Penny blurted. "And we did the dishes by hand, even the ones in the dishwasher," She looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. "We need you, Daddy. We love you!" Kurt sighed softly. Jessica had been eavesdropping again. He wasn't overly surprised to hear confirmation of that; she'd always been so quiet that no one heard her when she decided to sneak up on them. Half the time she didn't even realise she was sneaking; she just did it naturally. He wasn't sure how she came to have that particular skill, either. It's not like Blaine was stealthy in any sense of the word. That man could trip over the one thing left out in the hallway coming in late at night.

Kurt leaned down and kissed each girl on the forehead, cuddling them both close as he spoke.

"I love you two. I love your sister, even though she eavesdrops when she shouldn't be hearing things that don't pertain to her. I love your father dearly, with all my heart, and I will _not_ leave you guys," He finished, pulling them away from him long enough to look deep into their eyes. "All right? I'm not going anywhere. I promise," he finished. The girls looked at each other and nodded, wiping their tears away, and he hustled them into the living room to finish getting ready.

"Since you guys have missed the bus, I'm forced to bring you to school. Get your gear, and go get in the car. I'll be right out," He climbed the stairs as they grabbed their backpacks, and made his way to Jessica's room. He knocked softly, and opened the door almost immediately afterward. Jess turned at her vanity, looking over at him as she brushed her long, honey blond hair. Her hair was slightly curly, just enough to give it a bit of a wave, and Kurt envied the natural softness of it. Then again, he'd shown her how to care for her hair properly since she was small, and she did a very good job of it. Her blue eyes met his, and she held her hand out to him, handing him the brush.

"Can you make me pretty?" She asked, voicing a request she hadn't made since she was much smaller. He smiled softly.

"Oh no," he returned, sharing the private game they had played many times. "You're already so beautiful. My little princess," he added, smoothing her hair back and pulling it up into a gorgeous French twist. As he pinned it softly, he realised that this was one of his favourite times. When he got to spend some one-on-one time with any of his girls, it made his entire life light up. He slowly finished pinning it, and then wrapped his arms around her shoulders, embracing her.

"I love you, sweetheart," His voice went low, the way it always did when he wanted to talk about something serious. "But you have to stop scaring your sisters with the things you hear from your father and I at night. You have to stop eavesdropping, Jess," He turned her around so she was facing him instead of the mirror. Her gentle face looked up at him in curiosity.

"Why?" She asked, a small frown consuming her mouth.

"Because, Love," he replied, his hands pulling hers to him, and leaning his forehead down until it collided gently with hers. "The things you hear are just for Dad and me to know. I don't ever want you to have to be worried about us," he whispered, afraid she might not catch his meaning. "I'm never going to leave Dad, not _ever_, because I love him, and I love you, and I even love those brats we call your sisters," He smiled, delighted as a grin spread over his daughter's face. "Now, since they are sitting in the car waiting oh-so-patiently for us," he grinned hearing the honking of the car outside. "Why don't we go give them a ride to school, and then you and I can spend some time together today. Just us, our secret. What do you think?"

Jessica's face blossomed into a wide grin. She was going to spend the whole day with her favourite person on earth? She was absolutely delighted. She nodded quickly, then leaned over to grab her backpack, and hustled out the door and down the stairs to the car. She jumped in the back with Katherine; it was Penny's week to have the front seat. They rotated in order to keep it fair; Dad had set up the schedule, and left it on the fridge. Kurt locked the door and jumped into the driver's seat.

"So, Daddy,"" Katherine began, and Kurt grimaced as he checked his mirrors. It happened every single time they got into the car. Katherine was old enough to drive now, and she wanted lessons so that she could get her own car. The problem was always time. Between Blaine's meetings and trips and the girls' different sports and activities, there simply wasn't enough time on any given day to take her out to practice. Katherine must have seen the frustration on his face, because she quickly changed the subject.

"Daddy, there's a dance at the school on Friday and Penny and I have been invited by a couple of the football players. Would it be all right if we went?" She asked, her tone sweet and pleasant. Kurt cringed inwardly.

"I don't know, sweetheart. We'll have to wait until Dad gets home, and ask him," He hedged, his mind concentrating on the road and the way the kid in front of him kept swerving all over. Finally the car turned onto another road, and Kurt could breathe a sigh of relief. He dropped the eldest two at their high school, and then called Jessica's school as she climbed into the front seat with him.

"Hi, it's Mr Hummel-Anderson. Yes, Kurt. I just wanted to let you know that Jessica won't be in school today. No, she's all right. It's a mental health day. Yeah, she hasn't been feeling right for a couple of days, I wanted to take her out, see if we can reconnect. Yes. Yes, she will definitely be there tomorrow. No. All right, thanks. Have a great day. Bye now," He hung up the phone, and smiled over at Jess.

"So, what should we do first?" He asked. She smiled softly, looking over at him.

"Can we go to the library first, please?" She asked, and he grinned back at her. Today was going to be perfect.

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><p>Kurt pulled into the driveway, singing along with Jessica to the top 40 song she had picked on the drive home. They had enjoyed an amazing day. After the library, they had gone shopping at the mall, and had visited the Columbus Museum of Art, located on East Broad Street. There had been a new exhibit, and Jessica had been intimately interested in it.<p>

They had then enjoyed lunch at one of the little downtown restaurants, and had spent the afternoon walking in Battelle Waterfront Park, enjoying the sunshine. By the time they had made their way home, however, it had begun to rain. When they pulled into the driveway, Kurt gasped to see two bedraggled girls sitting on the front stoop, waiting for someone to let them in. Both jumped up as Kurt emerged from the car, darting to the front door and slipping his key in.

"Why didn't you use your key?" He asked the girls, and both shivered in the suddenly cooler air of the house.

"Forgot mine," Penny muttered, throwing her bag down onto the floor and squelching to the bathroom on the first floor.

"I lost mine a couple of weeks ago," Katherine blushed, putting her bag beside Penny's and walking upstairs to the second floor bathroom. Kurt shook his head softly; that girl would lose her head if it weren't attached.

He made a mental note to get another key cut for Katherine, and wandered over to the answering machine. He played the one message:

"Kurt, it's me. Blaine. I know you expected me home tonight. I'm so sorry. I've been called to go to another meeting, this time it's in Japan. I'm going to be gone for almost three weeks. I can't tell you how sorry I am about this. I know you've been missing me a lot lately. I promise, as soon as I get back, I'll make it up to you. I swear. I have to run, but I wanted you to know. I love you. So much. Please don't be upset. Love you, again. Bye, Kurt." The machine beeped, and Kurt fought back his tears. Three weeks? How could Blaine be gone for three weeks?

He obviously had forgotten that their ten-year anniversary was only two weeks away. Clearly, Kurt thought, their anniversary meant nothing to Blaine. He choked back a sob, biting his fist harshly as he began pulling out pots to use to make supper. He had purchased tickets as a surprise for Blaine for a week-long cruise to celebrate. He felt so disappointed and hurt, he wondered harshly if he should even bother to see if the tickets were refundable.


	2. Chapter 2

**Oh My GOD. I just watched Episode 1 of Season 3 of GLEE. SOMEBODY BURY ME, CAUSE I JUST DIED. What a show! I hope (pray) none of the cast read my stories, but if you do, 1) Please message me, 'cause I'd love to hear it! and 2) What an amazing show! You guys rock! And I don't just mean Klaine, 'cause Finchel was being cute, Bartie was adorable, Asian Fusion rocked, and the only thing I missed was Samcedes. No more Sam... and Mercedes and Azimio? What is their name? Mermio? Azicedes? I don't like it. (Crosses arms furiously.) You can't make me! (Pouty face). **

**As per Awsomekelly, a great reviewer, I now realise this is not Azimio, but a guy named Derek. So I apologise for calling him Azimio. But it's still not Sam, and I don't know if I like him. Nope. Don't know at all. **

**Thanks bunches to Gleekmom from FF who is my ever amazing, talented Beta. And to Stevie, who once again advised me if I didn't get my arse in gear and write the next chapter she would come after me with a paintroller. I'll be glad when the painting is done! XD**

**And on a different note. To all my readers, whom I love completely: I'm moving soon. I have a week to get out of my house, and find somewhere else to live. If I don't get a chance to get on here as often, I'm sorry. I'll update as often as I can. I'll still have my computer, so I'll be able to write even if I'm not online. **

**Love you guys. No word of a lie. I seriously do!**

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><p>Kurt placed his fingers to his temple, trying to rub away the pain of the past twenty-four hours. It was the end of the girls' first week of school, and as he should have expected, things were not going well for him. First Blaine had been called away on that stupid business trip, then his parents had called to tell him they wouldn't be coming up for Thanksgiving after all, and then Blaine's parents had called to say they <em>were<em> coming, and Penny had been caught on the school grounds _smoking_.

His head throbbed harshly, and Kurt knew a nasty migraine was forming. He looked over at his middle daughter, trying to come up with a suitable punishment for her.

"Daddy, I really wasn't!" She whined, her eyebrows scrunching up the same way Blaine's did when he lied. "I was set up! See, my best friend, Mariah, and I were outside at lunch period, and she lit up a cigarette, and asked me to hold it for her while she went inside to go pee." Her crocodile tears overflowed, and Kurt swore she was getting to be almost as good an actor as Kurt was. Or at least, as much of a drama queen as he was. He sighed softly, wishing that Blaine was here. At least if there were two of them, he would get some much needed back up with disciplining the girls.

"All right, Penny. Let's say, for the sake of argument, I believed you. And it was really Mariah's cigarette. And you really had nothing to do with it. What have we told you before about hanging around people who are a bad influence on you?"

Penny rolled her eyes and sighed. Monotone, she recited, "People who have a negative influence on my life shouldn't be in my life. I am free to be me. No one will ever expect me to conform." She paused at he annoyed look on Kurt's face. "But Daddy, isn't that what you're trying to get _me_ to do?" She asked hesitantly. "I mean, you want the best for us, I get that, but shouldn't we be free to make our own mistakes? And why wouldn't one of those things being trying cigarettes? Or dating? Or having sex?" She finished, and Kurt's eyebrows shot toward his hairline.

"Oh, are we having _this_ talk now? Hmmm, Penny?" Kurt's eyes narrowed as he watched his middle child scrunch up her shoulders, waiting for the inevitable meltdown. He shook his head softly, looking at her.

"You know how much I love you, right Penny?" he asked, his voice soft and gentle, but laced with steel. He needed to think through this properly, so he wouldn't make any mistakes in the way he delivered his message.

"Yes, Daddy," she sighed, her eyes never leaving his face as he began pacing back and forth in front of her.

"And it's _because _I love you that I say these things. I've _always_ loved you and your sisters, very much. I," and here he paused, his mind trying to come up with the right words. "I've made mistakes, Penelope. More mistakes than you could possibly imagine," He looked at Penny, her eyes wide as she started back at him.

"I don't believe that, Daddy," she whispered, her voice low as though she was scared. "You never make mistakes. I've watched you do thousands of things, and you've never made a single mistake, that I can think of,"

"That's because I try to do things alone before showing you what I do," Kurt replied, passing his hand over his face in weariness. "I can't tell you how many times I've had to go out and buy new cookware because I've destroyed the set we already had. Or the times I've done something stupid while alone, because it seemed like a good idea at the time. Like getting drunk," Penny gasped. Her Daddy was well known for not drinking, ever. He had a low tolerance, and he very rarely ever drank anything alcoholic.

"I tried smoking once, Penny," He sat down on the couch beside her, and took her hand in his. "Do you know what happened?" His daughter simply shook her head softly, her brown curls bouncing around her head the way her father's did when his hair got a bit too long.

"I choked. I gagged and I spit the damn thing out. This was back in my senior year at school, and my friend Quinn was trying it too. We both ended up so sick from it, we _never_ tried it again. What happened when you did it?" He looked curiously at Penny, and a soft blush covered her cheeks.

"I coughed. It made me wanna be sick, but I also felt a bit, well… cool," Her head ducked down, and she stared at the floor. Kurt sighed, and wrapped his arms around his daughter, gently pulling her close into a cuddle he hadn't been able to get for a couple of years. He always tried to be stern with his girls, but it never worked. They always managed to melt his heart.

"I know you want to be cool, and popular, sweetheart," he offered gently, his hand rubbing small circles into her back as tears began to flow down her cheeks. "But smoking isn't the way to do that. I know you remember what a pair of lungs look like after years of smoking, right?" She nodded, a small shudder wracking her body at the memory of those pictures in health class. "That's what would happen to _your_ lungs if you continued. And think of what it would do to your sister," he added. She looked confused, and he smiled. "You know Katherine does everything you do, and vice versa. The pair of you, I swear, should have been twins!" She giggled softly.

"Yeah, we can even finish each other's sentences," she added softly, her fifteen-year-old face lighting up with delight. Kurt smiled again, his eyes soft and warm for his beautiful little girl.

"That's quite true, and also mildly annoying," The two of them burst into giggles, hugging tightly. "So, do me a favor?" Penny nodded, her suddenly sober face peering intently at his. "Don't smoke anymore, okay? If you need to feel cool, come and talk to Dad or I about it. We can help get you set up with new clothes, or a new hairstyle, or make up, but no more smoking. Please?" He begged. Penny nodded gently.

"I wasn't going to anyway," she sighed, her head hanging again. "It made me throw up in the girls' bathroom. I hate being sick," Kurt nodded in agreement, glad he was able to avoid such a dangerous situation so easily. He hugged her once more, kissing her gently on the temple, and sent her off to do her homework. She pouted a little, but acquiesced fairly calmly. Kurt sighed.

Ahhh, the joys of raising teenage daughters.

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><p>Blaine waited patiently for someone at his house to pick up the phone. He was still in Japan, and he wasn't enjoying it as much as he thought he would. The marketing consultant for the firm they were taking over was an ass, and had no idea what he was doing. How he had ever managed to rise to a position of power, Blaine would never know. He was frustrated, and needed to hear a sympathetic voice. Finally the line was answered.<p>

"Mmm, hello?" Kurt's sleepy voice answered, and Blaine automatically lowered his voice.

"Hey, love," Blaine said gently, his heart still swelling at the sound of the man he loved, even after ten years.

"Blaine? How come you're calling me now?" Kurt replied, and Blaine pictured him sitting up in bed, rubbing his tired eyes. He smiled softly.

"I'm calling because I missed you," Blaine's voice dropped again, his huskiness coming out in his bedroom voice. Kurt gasped into the phone softly.

"Oh…" Kurt whispered. Blaine could picture Kurt's face turning crimson, and chuckled. "I suppose you want to… well… ummm…" Kurt gulped softly. Blaine chuckled again as he listened to the breathing on the other end of the line get slightly faster.

"Hmmm, that would be _very_ nice," Blaine said, his mouth wide in a grin. "But we don't have to. I'd be content just laying here listening to you breathe all night," Kurt gasped again, and a barely noticeable hitch came into his voice as he replied.

"You would?" Kurt asked in a tiny voice. Blaine furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"Of course I would, Love. I mean, it would mean one hell of a phone bill, but it would mean everything to me to be there with you right now." A soft sob came from Kurt's end of the phone, and Blaine gripped his phone tightly. "Babe? Babe, tell me what's wrong?" He pleaded gently.

"P-Penny got caught s-smoking at school, S-Sue is trying to k-kill our two eldest children, my p-parents aren't coming for T-Thanksgiving, but yours are, and I m-miss you!" Kurt's composure finally crumbled with the revelation, and there was nothing but soft sobbing coming from the other end of the phone. Blaine's eyebrows reached his hairline as he realized everything Kurt had been going through the past week.

"Wow. You really have been pummeled with a lot this week, haven't you?" Blaine murmured sympathetically. Kurt just sniffled into the phone. "Firstly, sweetheart, calm down, okay?" Blaine added. He listened until Kurt's sniffles faded away, and he heard the other man's breathing steady out. "Okay. What did Penny do when you talked to her about smoking? You did talk to her, right?" Blaine asked. Kurt huffed.

"Yes, I talked to her. She tried to lie about it, saying it was her friend Mariah's. I told you that girl was a bad influence," Kurt stated. Blaine nodded, not realizing Kurt couldn't see him nod through the phone. "She promised me she wouldn't smoke anymore, but I had to tell her that if she needed to feel cooler to come to us and we'd take her shopping. I'm starting to regret that, now," Kurt added softly. Blaine nodded again.

"I guess so," Blaine replied, knowing that his daughter would be able to out-shop Kurt, and that was saying something. "And what did Sue do to try and kill Penny and Katie?" he asked hesitantly. Kurt's relationship with one Sue Sylvester had always perturbed him. He'd never figured out why Kurt liked the woman, although that was apt to change on any given day.

"She managed to get her hands on another carnival cannon," Kurt sighed. Blaine's eyebrows shot up again.

"What?"

"A cannon, Blaine," Kurt sniped, and Blaine knew Kurt was very tired if he was getting snippy with him. "The kind you shoot people out of. She tried this once back when I was in high school. It never panned out because she couldn't find a volunteer to be shot out of it. My friend Brittany was supposed to have been the victim, but she bailed at the last second to come help us with the half-time show at our football championship. I wish I could have been dancing with the glee club that day. The costumes were incredible! On, second thought, never mind. I don't want to think about what that gunk would have done to my skin," Blaine laughed along with Kurt, trying to imagine him in a costume that would have been bad for his skin. Some kind of heavy make-up for the crowd, maybe? He'd have to ask if Kurt had pictures, and sometime soon!

"So, what you're telling me is that Sue wanted to shoot one of our girls out of the cannon? Is she insane?" Blaine asked, clearly dreading the answer.

"I think the jury is still out on that," Kurt replied, a heaviness coming back into his voice. Blaine couldn't figure out what was wrong with Kurt. He decided to just come out and ask.

"Babe, what's wrong? It seems like this stuff is getting to you more than usual." He allowed a measure of love and affection to color his voice, letting Kurt know how much he missed him.

"Nothing," Kurt choked, as though trying to keep in a sob. "It's just between everything that's been happening, and me feeling like I'm not contributing to the family, and all this stress, I'm just feeling lower than usual, I guess." Blaine felt his eyes begin to burn, upset that Kurt would feel so bad, especially when Blaine wasn't there to comfort him.

"Oh, Kurt," Blaine murmured, his heart melting with the love he felt for the man he'd been with for ten years. "Kurt, I love you. So very, _very_ much. I wish I were there to help take some of the stress from you. I know you feel as though you haven't contributed to the family. But you've done so much for everyone. And not just in our family. You cook, and clean; you make sure the girls are at every one of the after school activities they go to. You manage to still find time to get out and have a life outside of family! I know for a fact you get out at least twice a month with Mercedes, and Rachel comes to take you out whenever she's in town too. I know you get out with the guys sometimes, too. I'm not saying that I trust that Puck guy, but I trust Finn, and Artie, and I know they'll take care of you. You're the most amazing person in the world, Kurt. I just wish I could make you see it," he ended, the tears rolling freely down his cheeks now as he tried to convince the love of his life of how amazing he truly was.

"And as for my parents coming to Thanksgiving dinner, well, I'll make sure they don't say anything derogatory. They'll be informed beforehand; if anything like that comes out of their mouths, they will be expected to leave." Blaine was adamant about that. The steel that laced his voice when he spoke of his parents had been there since he and Kurt had first gotten together. His father had been inexcusably rude to Kurt, and he had never really forgiven him. Not to mention that he'd accused Kurt of molesting the girls. But that was in the past.

Kurt's voice shook as he spoke, as though he was trying hard to keep his feelings in check.

"Did you even remember…" Kurt's voice trailed off, and Blaine scrunched his nose. Huh? What did he forget? Kurt wouldn't have brought it up if he didn't think it pertinent. Blaine thought hard about what was coming up lately.

"Did I remember what? Hun, are you all right? I wish I could come through the phone and hug you," his voice hitched on the last word, meaning every single syllable.

"Nothing," Kurt sighed softly, his heart dropping. "Hey, Blaine?"

"Yeah?"

"It's almost four here. Would you mind terribly if I went back to sleep? I love you, but I need my beauty rest…" Blaine sighed. It had been a long week.

"Of course, sweetheart. Would you like me to sing for you?" he asked. This was one of his favorite times when he was away; getting to sing Kurt to sleep.

"No, that's all right," Kurt yawned. "I love you. Have a good day, night, whatever it is there." Blaine blinked. But, he was supposed to sing!

"Love you Babe. Sweet dreams," he murmured softly, and Kurt hung up the phone. Blaine lay back on his bed, his mind whirling around and around, trying to figure out what he was missing. He decided to text Wes, and ask if he would be willing to check in on Kurt.

_Hey, Wes, any chance you might be headed to __Columbus? – B_

_Possibly, why? Aren't you in Japan atm? – W_

_Yeah. Kurt's been down lately, wanted to know if you'd check on him – B_

_Of course I will. What plans have you made for your Anni? – W_

Blaine blinked softly in the light of the TV. Oh. My. God. He was so dead. His breath hitched in his throat as he sent his next text to Wes.

_Shit. – B_

_Uh, okay… don't you think he deserves a little more than just shit? ;) – W_

_I forgot. – B_

Blaine squirmed around, his blush spreading over his cheeks in horror. _**I forgot. Oh my God. Kurt's going to literally kill me. Oh God, Oh God, Oh God.**_ Was all he could think.

_You did_ NOT! – W

_Oh God. I'm so dead. I'm in Japan for our ten-year anniversary! I'm dog food. – B_

_Gotta admit it man, yes you are. WTF are you gonna do? – W_

Yes. Blaine could fix it! Wes could help! Oh God, would he help? And what could Blaine do to make it better?

_Can you help me? – B_

_Whatever I need to do. I'll help in anyway I can, you know that! – W_

_You're an amazing friend, you know that? – B_

_I've been told. ;) – W_

Blaine began planning, his heart racing a mile a minute. He had only a few days to get everything ready. Thank god for Wes and the rest of his friends. They would make sure everything was set up for him.

Now all he had to do was find a reason to leave the meetings early. Like, a whole week early.

Shit.

* * *

><p>Kurt looked up in surprise as a knock came on the door. Wandering from the living room to the front hallway, he looked out the small window to see Wes, David and Thad on the front stoop. He opened the door with a smile.<p>

"Hey, guys!" He leaned forward, and shook hands with David and Thad. Wes scoffed at him and pulled him into a hug. Kurt stepped back, blushing and chuckled as the other three laughed at his discomfort.

"You know, Wes, if I didn't know and love your wife to bits, I'd think you were hitting on me!" They all laughed again. "Come on in!" He ushered the men to the living room, turning off the TV. Thad giggled when he saw what Kurt had been watching.

"Oprah, Kurt? Really?" Kurt blushed again, picking up the laundry basket from the couch and placing it at the foot of the stairs in the hall. He gestured to the others to sit down.

"Things have been kind of slow around here. I take whatever form of entertainment I can get. Besides, I love it when Oprah gives stuff away. Like the cars she gave to a whole audience once? That was epic." David nodded in agreement, while Thad and Wes just laughed.

"Can I get you guys anything? Kurt asked, his hands smoothing down his jeans. "I have fruit punch, Coke, or Beer," he added, looking at the faces of the other three.

"Beer," the guys called, as Kurt made his way to the kitchen. Grabbing three beers from the fridge, he nabbed himself a diet Coke, and returned to find the guys watching him intently.

"Uh, so. What are you guys doing here? I know at least Wes knows that Blaine's in Japan at the moment," Kurt quipped, one of his eyebrows raised in query.

"We came to hang out with one of our favourite people," Thad answered, taking a swig of his beer lazily. Kurt looked at him in confusion.

"Wait, what? How did _I_ manage to become one of your favourite people, Thad? We barely know each other," His eyes roamed to the other two in the room. "What's really going on here?" He asked, almost afraid at the answer he was going to get. Wes sighed softly.

"Blaine was a bit worried about you, is all," Wes replied. He ran his fingers through his hair as a slight blush crept up his cheeks. "He asked if I would be willing to come check on you, just to make sure you were all right. I brought David because I know he's your friend too, and Thad, well, Thad was there when I asked David, so I told him he could come too," Thad looked at Wes in dismay.

"And here I thought I was just here to be a friend too!" he pouted, then burst into giggles along with the other three men in the room. Kurt was quite happy with the company, truth be told. He _had_ been feeling down lately, and to have good friends come over to visit, made his day so much better.

They spent quite a bit of time, just chatting about random things. Then the door banged open, and Kurt jumped. Katherine came in, followed by Jessica and Penny. He looked over at them from the couch, and they peered back at the four men staring at them.

"Uncles!" They squealed, and all three girls ran to the three men that were now standing, waiting for hugs. Once everyone had been hugged, Katherine piped up.

"Did you bring us anything?" Her hopeful eyes rested on Wes, who smothered a laugh.

"No, but I was thinking that maybe we could all go out to dinner tonight?" He looked at Kurt, whose eyes lit up at the prospect of not having to cook for this lot. "My treat?" The girls squealed again, sending the men into gales of laughter, and all in the room turned to Kurt, looking for an answer. He pretended to deliberate for a few moments, then replied:

"Wes, I think we'd be happy to go to dinner with you!"

Everyone cheered, and they all made their way out to the cars.


	3. Chapter 3

**Well guys. Here's Chapter 3. Be prepared for smut. It's coming. Oh yes. Smut ahoy! XD**

**Also, I'm kind of homeless atm. Been wandering around British Columbia, trying to find a place to live without having to go home to Ontario. I might just have to, though. After all, I would be closer when I travel to New York in January with Josh and the girls from Twitter. I'm currently staying wih a Aunt. At least until tomorrow. And after that, another aunt. Should be interesting. **

**Anywho. Not much more to say. I apologise if I don't update frequently enough for you guys. I love you all, but I don't always have internet access. I'll update when and where I can. **

* * *

><p>Blaine's heart pounded in his chest as he made his way down the stairs of the plane. He had managed to get out of the rest of the meetings by getting Cole Duncan to take over for him. Cole wasn't a VP yet, but he was on his way up in the company, and could definitely be trusted to wrap up the loose ends.<p>

He looked around the tarmac, searching for his best friend. Spotting Wes, he grinned, and slowly jogged over to him.

"Hey man, looking good!" Wes advised in wonder, with a side-ways glance at Blaine. "Have you lost a couple of pounds? Man, I gotta get back to Japan soon!" Blaine chuckled in agreement, patting his stomach softly.

"Nah. It's because all they wanted to do is serve me squid and bats and stuff." Blaine joked, his eyes crinkling in amusement.

Together they made their way from the tarmac to the baggage claims area, and Blaine grabbed his luggage.

"Okay, Wes. Tell me you have good news for me!" Blaine exclaimed, his free hand running through his hair nervously.

"Of course I have good news for you," Wes scoffed, slightly miffed that Blaine would have thought otherwise. "The flight is all set, the girls will be looked after by Kurt's parents, who, by the way, haven't spilled the beans to Kurt. Which is saying something, because he's been grilling me about it all week!" Blaine's face dropped in horror. "No, I didn't give him any hints either. I simply said that _when_ you get home, he'd be pleasantly surprised. That's all." Wes chuckled as Blaine turned crimson.

"Wow." Blaine muttered softly, making Wes strain to hear what he had to say. "Way to make it sound sexual, Wes," Wes chuckled again, reaching out and ruffling Blaine's hair.

"I know, right?" Wes answered, his laughter causing a couple of other passengers to look their way in annoyance.

Despite Wes' laughter, they made their way outside, where a stretch limousine sat parked, the driver in his uniform and hat waiting to open the door.

"Classy, Wes." Blaine smirked. Wes coughed softly, turning slightly crimson himself.

"I still haven't managed to get my licence back," Wes replied, shrugging his shoulders gently. Blaine roared with laughter, as Wes recounted the story of speeding in his Ferrari 458 Italia, getting caught, and losing his right to drive.

"I was really only going just under a hundred over the speed limit. I don't care what that radar gun says," Wes pouted, sending Blaine once again into gales of laughter as they pulled up outside of Blaine's house.

Wes jumped out, and Blaine got ready to spring his surprise on Kurt. Watching through the darkened windows of the limo, he saw Kurt come out of the house to say hi to Wes, giving him a big hug in the process. Blaine felt a twinge of jealousy of his old friend. Wes got to hug Kurt before Blaine did, and Blaine didn't like it, not one bit. But it was the price he had to pay to be able to surprise the man he loved.

* * *

><p>"Hi Wes!" Kurt called, his voice carrying over the lawn to the man standing beside his very presumptuous ride. Wes grinned like a wolf, and Kurt felt his stomach drop. Why was Wes grinning so widely? He always smiled, but like this he looked like the cat who had not only eaten the canary, but an entire can of tuna and saucer of cream too!<p>

"Hey, Kurt," Wes drawled. Kurt blinked. Since when did Wes _drawl_? Something fishy was definitely going on here. Wes walked forward and hugged him gently, grinning all the while. "How are the girls?" He leaned back a little, resting his hand on Kurt's shoulder.

"They're fine." Kurt replied, glancing suspiciously a the hand on his shoulder. He lowered his voice a bit to avoid being heard from inside the house. "Penny and Katie are doing homework right now. Jess has already finished hers, so I put her to work making dinner. I'm guessing you're staying?" Wes answered with his grin.

"Nope. Actually, I'm planning on taking the girls out to eat." Kurt's jaw dropped in annoyance. This was the first time in known history that Wes had turned down a home-cooked meal. And he was absconding with the girls too? What the hell was going on here?

Wes let out a piercing whistle, and all three girls came running to the front door. Grinning widely, he opened the door to the limo, and out stepped Blaine Anderson.

Kurt was dumbstruck. The girls all squealed and rushed to Blaine, and he hugged each of them, lovingly planting a kiss on their foreheads, before turning to the man he so desperately wanted to hold. Wes leaned forward as Kurt and Blaine locked eyes, and gathered the girls up to him. He herded them toward the limo, watching the two men behind him and smirked softly.

He would take the girls out to dinner, and let Kurt and Blaine reconnect. Jessica ran back inside first, to turn off the stove, and then made her way back to the limo and scooted inside. As the limo drove off, Blaine wandered slowly toward Kurt, stopping right in front of his husband.

"Blaine?" Kurt murmured, his eyes never leaving his lover's face, taking in every single detail, both remembered and seen. He visually memorised everything about his man, as he reached out softly to touch Blaine's face. While he stroked Blaine's face gently, Blaine's hand met Kurt's and held his tightly.

"Hi, Kurt," Blaine murmured, his hazel eyes never leaving Kurt's blue ones. As one, they reached for one another, Blaine's arms wrapping around Kurt's waist, as Kurt slipped his hands over Blaine's shoulders. They looked deep into one another's eyes, ignoring the fact that they were currently standing outside on their front lawn, where the entire world could see.

"I missed you," Kurt murmured, a second before he leaned forward and kissed Blaine passionately. Blaine held Kurt close, running his fingers up and down Kurt's back, kissing back just as passionately, putting every emotion, every feeling he possibly could into the kiss. Just as he felt he might just pass out from the lack of air, Kurt pulled back gently, his chest heaving for the same reason. Blaine leaned his forehead against Kurt's, pulling the other man close and inhaling, loving the scent of the man before him.

"I missed you too," Blaine whispered, nudging his nose forward and giving Kurt a soft Eskimo kiss. He pulled Kurt towards the door of the house, wrapping his arm around Kurt's waist again and steering him through it gently, closing it in their wake.

They bypassed the kitchen, wandered through the living room to the hall, and slowly made their way to the bedroom.

Neither felt the need to speak; their eyes conveyed everything they wanted to say. As they reached the bedroom, they closed the door. No one was home, but they preferred the intimacy to enjoy what they were about to do.

* * *

><p>The door closed behind Kurt, and Blaine stood in the middle of the room, his breathing fast and his blood pressure rising, making his body flush a bright red.<p>

Kurt's half-lidded eyes raked up and down his body, and Blaine shuddered softly, basking in the adoration of the other man. Kurt reached out to Blaine, his hand searching, and finding Blaine's, he squeezed it gently. Blaine leaned forward, capturing Kurt's lips in a gentle, soft, sweet kiss. As they slowly explored each other's mouths, he heard the phone ring. Giving a soft sigh, Blaine broke the kiss gently, and walked to the side of the bed to answer it.

"Hello?" He asked softly. Kurt wandered over to Blaine, and gently pulled Blaine's collar down, nibbling slightly on the exposed skin he found there. Blaine smiled softly as he listened to the person on the other end.

"Blaine," Kurt whispered, his lips pressed against Blaine's salty skin, his hands wrapped around his lover's waist. He nudged his hips forward softly, and Blaine nearly chuckled at the hardness pressed against his ass.

"Yes," Blaine affirmed, and hung up the phone. Kurt turned him around, his hand sliding up under Blaine's shirt, his fingers skipping over Blaine's abs while his mouth did some deliciously wonderful things to Blaine's collarbone.

"What was that all about?" Kurt murmured, his lips never for a second leaving Blaine's skin. Blaine flushed softly, his hands once again finding their way to Kurt's waist. He then slid his hands down and cupped Kurt's ass, pulling their groins together.

"Wes," he supplied, shrugging lightly. "He wanted to know if we were in the bedroom yet," Blaine laughed softly. "I confirmed it, and he said he would be taking the girls to a movie after dinner, so we have lots of time to enjoy each other." He stared deeply into Kurt's eyes again, the never-ending pools of blue capturing his attention like they had every single time he had ever seen them. He found himself drowning in their deepness, so much so that he had to pull back a bit, and just _breathe_.

Kurt leaned back as well, his hand reaching up to cup Blaine's jaw, and then he leaned forward again, peppering Blaine's neck and jaw with light, soft kisses. Blaine's breath hitched, and his hips circled involuntarily as he tried to get more of the amazing sensations. Kurt giggled softly, and pushed Blaine towards the bed.

"Oof," Blaine huffed as he fell sideways onto the bed. He kept a tight grip on Kurt, who landed on top of him, laughing softly as their hard lengths rubbed together. Kurt's laughter switched quickly to moans, as Blaine pulled Kurt closer, flipping them over on the bed so Blaine was on top. He moved gently, building up the sensations with mind-blowing, agonisingly slow movements. As he rubbed against his lover, Blaine leaned down and suckled Kurt's body. His tongue delved its way from Kurt's mouth to his jaw, then his neck and his collar, all the while nipping, sucking and licking the taste from Kurt's skin. Blaine feared he would never be able to get enough of Kurt, and if that were the case, he would be quite happy spending the rest of his life trying.

Sliding his hands under Kurt's shirt, Blaine moved to slip it off. Kurt held his hands above his head, and Blaine brought the shirt to the end of Kurt's arms, and then stopped. He had a brilliant idea.

"Do you trust me?" Blaine whispered, his eyes searching Kurt's for any sign of hesitation. All he found was love, trust and devotion in Kurt's eyes.

"I do," Kurt's eyes misted as he recognised the words he had said ten years ago when they had married. "I do trust you, Blaine. I love you so very much," Kurt leaned up to kiss Blaine, and he sucked on Kurt's lower lip for a moment. Then he leaned back, looking up to where Kurt's hands were still bound by the cloth of his shirt.

"I'm going to leave you like this, Kurt," Blaine murmured, his hands pulling the shirt closer to the headboard of the bed, and wrapping the sleeves around the posts. "If you need to, you can very easily get out of it. But try to keep your hands in there. I want to touch you, and I need you to let me," he added softly, sliding his hands down Kurt's arms, past his underarms, and dragged his nails over the soft white skin of Kurt's chest. Kurt's pupils were blown wide, the look of unadulterated lust emanating from him threatening to overwhelm Blaine. Kurt rocked his hips up, bumping their erections together and causing Blaine to groan with pleasure. He straddled him, forcing Kurt's hips back down to the mattress, as he leaned over and licked a wet stripe from Kurt's navel to behind his ear. Hearing Kurt's ragged breathing, Blaine leaned back to admire his handiwork.

Kurt's skin was no longer like white marble. It was flushed, pink all over, the blood rising to the surface of the skin as Blaine touched and caressed him. His whole body vibrated, and Blaine loved seeing Kurt come undone like this. He leaned down again, stopping just before touching the man he loved so deeply.

"I'm going to make you come without even touching you properly," he whispered into Kurt's ear, and the other man gasped, drawing the gasp out into a long sigh. "At least, for the first time," he added wickedly, a smirk gracing his face as Kurt's flushed even more than it had been before. Leaning back, he watched Kurt nod enthusiastically, Kurt's eyes ready to roll back in his head from the pleasure overload. Blaine scraped one fingernail over Kurt's nipple, and Kurt jumped, his body overly sensitive to all of Blaine's ministrations. Blaine chuckled softly and did it again just to feel Kurt jump. Kurt moaned deeply, in the back of his throat, turning it into a yelp as Blaine grabbed his nipple between his fingers and pinched it hard. Kurt's eyes flew open and he stared at Blaine, his mouth open wide in surprise. Blaine wasn't sure if Kurt liked it or not, since they really hadn't much experimented with pain being part of their pleasuring. Not since their honeymoon, anyway.

Kurt's eyes were still half-lidded, and his cock still hard as fuck, so Blaine decided he couldn't be doing anything _too_ bad for Kurt. He reached up and tweaked Kurt's nipple again, eliciting a deep, primal groan from Kurt's lips.

_Holy fuck, was that ever hot,_ Blaine thought, watching the pain and the pleasure mingle on Kurt's face, as he threw his head back. Blaine wondered what Kurt would do if he stopped touching him, so Blaine did just that. Nothing. Kurt looked up at him in surprise and anticipation, his brow furrowed in frustration.

"Blaine," Kurt whined, moving his hips back and forth underneath Blaine's ass. Blaine ground himself down on Kurt, stilling his hips and pushing Kurt's shoulders down on the bed.

"I'll get to it, love," he whispered slyly, rocking himself gently against his lover. Then suddenly he ground down _hard_, forcing Kurt's erection to rub harshly against his pants, and a soft curse slipped from Kurt's lips.

"_Fuck_, Blaine," Kurt's pupils were blown so wide Blaine could barely see any of the beautiful blue that usually ringed them. Blaine smirked again, and dragged his nails down Kurt's chest until he reached Kurt's pants. He yanked the button fiercely and tore down the zipper, watching Kurt's face as he ripped the skinny jeans from Kurt's legs. Kurt was so turned on, so very ready for this, that he didn't even complain when Blaine threw his jeans to the floor. But Blaine knew he'd have hell to pay for that later. All the more reason for him to enjoy what they were doing now.

He began at Kurt's feet, rubbing softly at first, then a little rougher, as his hands moved up to Kurt' legs, his thighs, his hips, his stomach and his chest. By the time Blaine got to Kurt's shoulders, Kurt was shaking from need, his eyes never leaving Blaine's face. Every nerve in Blaine's body was humming, completely in tune with the humming resounding through Kurt. Blaine stopped massaging Kurt's body, and began, once again to lick his man. He chose to start at the top this time, kissing Kurt's lips. He slipped his tongue down to Kurt's neck, sucking a hickey right behind Kurt's ear. He kept his hands on either side of Kurt, not touching, just supporting his weight over the other man, who trembled beneath him. When he reached Kurt's left nipple, he bit. Hard.

Kurt let loose with a deep yell; Blaine looked up, fascinated by a tone he had never heard from Kurt before. Lowering his head, he bit again, feeling Kurt writhe from side to side, his head being thrown back and forth as his body tried to adjust to the pain. He bit Kurt's other nipple, just to see what kind of reaction he would get. Kurt's entire body jumped again, and his yell was even louder; apparently Kurt was very sensitive around his nipples. Blaine filed that tidbit away for future reference.

He continued his downward trek, sucking deep hickeys into Kurt's skin as he went. When he looked up, he could see every single place he had already been, as it was marked with a deep purple splotch. His cock throbbed as he took in the expanse of pale skin marked only by his hickeys.

When Blaine finally reached Kurt's hips, he did everything in his power to stay away from Kurt's cock. He sucked marks into the thin skin of Kurt's hips. Soon Kurt looked as though he had been the victim of a very sexy accident. Looking up at his husband, who was breathing heavily as though trying to contain himself for as long as possible, Blaine decided to really tease Kurt. He moved slightly lower, and pulled one of Kurt's testicles into his mouth, once again never using his hands.

That was it for Kurt. His eyes flew open, his cock twitched and he came, the pearly strings covering his stomach, chest and even a little on his lips when a particularly strong wave hit him. Blaine reached up and stroked Kurt through the orgasm, allowing the man to come down gradually from his high. Kurt relaxed, his eyes now half-lidded in satisfaction, rather than anticipation.

Blaine released Kurt and stood, walked to the en-suite bathroom and bringing back a warm, damp washcloth. He cleaned up the man he loved, who then snuggled softly into Blaine's side.

"Oh, sweetheart. I think you misunderstand the situation," Blaine whispered quietly as Kurt shivered with the soft ghosting of breath over the shell of his ear. "I'm not done yet, which means you aren't done yet, either," Blaine kissed Kurt gently, turning it rough as he bit the other mans' lips. Kurt gasped as Blaine took his lower lip between his teeth, worrying it back and forth between them. Blaine rubbed his now painfully hard erection against Kurt's hip, looking for the friction he so desperately desired.

Blaine suddenly grabbed one of Kurt's legs and threw it over his shoulder. He slipped his index finger in his own mouth, and then positioned it at Kurt's entrance. There was no teasing, none of the soft gentle loving that they usually started with. Blaine simply breached Kurt without any warning, causing the other man to cry out in pain. Blaine wasn't going to let up though. His finger slipped in and out, and Kurt's body began to hum once again, in response. Blaine removed his finger, spat in his other hand and slicked up his index and middle fingers, reinserting them just as quickly. Kurt gave another cry, not quite as loud as the first. This time, Blaine had enough length to reach the bundle of nerves that made Kurt feel amazing.

Kurt's body jumped at the sensation, and his cock, which had been feebly trying to rise once more, grew to full mast in one fell swoop. Kurt blushed head to toe, and his head was thrown back again. It was the reassurance Blaine needed. Kurt's hands reached up to clutch Blaine, but Blaine pushed him back down.

"Oh, no," Blaine breathed, his fingers brushing over that spot once again, causing Kurt to moan and yelp at the same time. "You don't get to touch. That pleasure is _mine_, and mine alone," He bit Kurt's thigh, leaving a set of teeth marks along the skin, as his fingers continued to plunge into Kurt's deep cavern. Kurt was now a little stretched, but Blaine couldn't wait any longer. If he didn't have Kurt, right now, he would go fucking insane.

He pulled his fingers from Kurt's ass, raising an eyebrow at the whimper that left Kurt's lips at the lack of contact. Blaine stripped the rest of his clothes off, while Kurt watched him with heavy eyes. Blaine positioned himself at Kurt's entrance and forced himself in, in one smooth movement.

Kurt screamed, clenching around Blaine as he slid inside. Blaine didn't allow Kurt any semblance of adjustment, but pulled out immediately, slamming back inside, and jabbing roughly at Kurt's prostate. Kurt's scream of pain rapidly changed into a moan of delight, as Blaine's pounding continued abusing the tight bundle of nerves. Blaine shifted his hips, finding a better angle and continuing to pound into Kurt, whose hands were now clutching the headboard with all the strength he had. Suddenly, Blaine pulled out. Kurt's whimper was audible as Blaine's hands found his hips, flipping the taller man over in the bed. His world was Kurt, and Kurt was all he wanted to focus on. He slid his cock up Kurt's ass crack once, then slid inside Kurt once more, holding Kurt's hips up as he did so. He was so close to coming, right then. He reached around in front of Kurt, slipping his fingers around Kurt's cock, stroking him roughly. Kurt's voice cracked, his yell and the clenching of his asshole pulling Blaine over the edge with him. Together, they shot off, come spurting all over the bed sheets, and deep within Kurt's bowels, filling him up with heat.

They collapsed together onto the bed, breathing ragged and slowly calming. Blaine gently turned over his husband, wiping the tears from Kurt's eyes. Kurt's hands had come undone from the shirt, and he reached out to Blaine, pulling him as close as he could without making too much more of a mess than they already had.

Blaine noticed a bit of blood on Kurt's back, and, looking down, noticed it on his spent cock as well.

"I hurt you," Blaine whispered, his lips finding Kurt's and kissing him softly. "I'm so sorry," he added, his heart breaking as Kurt released a soft sob. Kurt's eyes widened, and he shook his head fiercely.

"No," Kurt hissed, his hands reaching out to hold Blaine face right next to his own. "No, you don't get to be sorry for that. It was… perfect," Kurt's voice cracked again, and the tears once again began flowing. "I needed it," he added, tipping his head up for more of Blaine's kisses. "I needed to know you still loved me," His voice faded to a whisper as he said this, and his head tilted down in shame. Now Blaine's eyes widened in surprise, and mild confusion. Kurt didn't think he loved him?

"Oh, Baby," Blaine murmured, his hand reaching under Kurt's chin and lifting it to look him in the eyes. "No matter what, no matter where in the world I am, I will _always_ love you. Is that understood?" Kurt gulped gently, and nodded his head. "Good. You have _nothing_ to worry about, Love," Blaine wrapped his arms around his slightly sticky lover, and pulled him close. "I will _never_ leave you, Kurt. You hold my heart, just as much as I hold yours." He said, kissing him gently. "By the way," he added nonchalantly. "Happy Anniversary, Kurt. Ten years! I'm surprised you've put up with me for that long!" Kurt scoffed at him, as his tears began flowing again.

"You didn't forget! I thought you had," Kurt sniffled softly, and Blaine smiled at him.

"Can I be brutally honest here, Kurt?" Blaine's puppy dog eyes came out, and Kurt had to laugh. Those eyes never failed to make Kurt happy. He nodded gently, not trusting his mouth to form coherent words.

"I actually did forget." Kurt's eyes widened in disbelief. "I was actually reminded by Wes." Blaine's cheeks flushed in shame, and he looked away from Kurt. Kurt was hurt by the fact that Blaine wouldn't look at him, so he grabbed on to Blaine's hand for comfort.

"But you're here," Kurt whispered, the confusion he felt written all over his face. Blaine shrugged.

"All Wes' doing. He arranged the jet to get me here on time, he planned the arrival, the girls being taken out, everything. He added one last thing as well to his plans." Blaine reached over to his pants, and pulled out what looked like a Hallmark card. "Happy Anniversary, Kurt." He handed the envelope to Kurt, who looked at him with love and affection in his eyes.

Kurt tenderly broke the seal on the envelope, and pulled out the card. The front was a picture of lilies, and when he opened the card, something fell out. Reaching down to the floor to pick up the fallen object, Kurt had to gasp, loudly. His shaking hands waved the object around, his mouth opening and closing, not really making any noise except incoherent gurgles.

"Tickets, Blaine?" he finally managed to get out. "Tickets to…?" His face coloured, as he stared at his husband, gobsmacked. Blaine chuckled softly, and confirmed what Kurt was trying to say.

"Yes, Kurt. Tickets. To Paris. For the entire week of our anniversary. I hope you like them," Blaine said, his voice low and concerned. "I truly am sorry I forgot. I hoped this would help make it up to you." Blaine's eyes finally returned to Kurt's and the two sets of eyes locked on each other. Within a second Kurt had launched himself at Blaine, throwing his arms around his lover and kissing him deeply and long. Then he wrenched himself from Blaine's grasp, and darted out the door of the bedroom and down the hallway. Blaine was disconcerted. If he liked the gift, why did Kurt just run away. Blaine was about to go after Kurt when the latter returned, the smile that graced his lips so wide Blaine wasn't sure if Kurt really was all right.

"Here!" Kurt thrust a small, long shaped box into Blaine's hands. It had a soft, metallic looking wrapping paper covering it, and a beautiful neon pink ribbon wrapped around it. "Happy Anniversary, Blaine," Kurt's eyes twinkled as he watched Blaine's face light up in wonder.

"I love you, Kurt," Blaine looked up again at his husband, trying to convey everything that he felt in the one look. Kurt flushed again.

"I love you too," Kurt breathed, and then he looked back down at the present. "But if you don't open that soon I'm going to die from the excitement!" Kurt actually squirmed a little standing there, waiting for Blaine to open the gift, so Blaine got to tearing open the wrapping paper. When he finally pulled off the lid, his eyes began to burn, and he reached forward, pulling Kurt into an amazed hug.

"Tickets for a cruise ship? Oh my God, Kurt," Blaine kissed his husband deeply, his lips caressing and loving every bit of his soul mate. "I love you so much," He kissed Kurt again, wrapping his arms around his lover, best friend and soul mate, and they proceeded to lose themselves in each other once again.


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay. Firstly. Thank you guys SOOOO much for sticking around! I still cannot believe that everyone seems to like these stories so much. It really is amazing!**

**For anyone who didn't know, I am now at home, back in Ontario. I was in British Columbia, staying with my father, but things have happened, and now I'm here. I made it, I'm all right, and I'm still trying to figure out who I am. But the world has called me back, and I had no choice but to respond. My children, however, are thrilled to see me. Four months has been a long time without them. **

**Once again, a huge thank you to my Beta, GleekMom, or DebraEllen2 on Twitter! She's given me a lot of inspiration and help over the past week, and I'm thrilled to say she's been a huge help with everything I've been going through, too. I couldn't have done any of this without her. And a huge thanks to Stevie as well! I'm truly sorry I didn't get to say goodbye to you before I left, but I do hope you continue reading this. After all, you are the one who urged me to post in the first place. I owe you everything. **

**Enough of the mush. Here's some Papa Bear Burt and his three grand-cublings. **

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><p>"I totally don't understand why we have to be <em>here<em>," Katherine whined, her gum snapping away as she spoke. She looked back at Penny, who nodded fervently, and together they looked back at their grandparents.

"Well," Carole began, but Burt held up his hand, and she stilled. A small smile broke out over her face as she realised Burt was about to go all Grand-Papa Bear on the girls.

"Since you are only sixteen, fifteen and thirteen, respectively, you do not get a say in the matter. You _will_ stay with your grandmother and I, and we will _not_ hear another word about this." Burt's eyes burned with molten steel, daring the girls to defy him. Yet, when they turned to look in terror at one another, he threw his wife and youngest grandchild an amused glance. Jessica stood slightly behind her sisters, her hand covering her mouth as she tried desperately not to laugh out loud. "You three may _think_ you're old enough to be left in a house by yourselves for a month, but your grandmother and I know better." Carole could tell it was hard for Burt to not burst out in giggles. Katherine and Penny looked furtively at each other, silently begging the other to come up with a response that would allow them to stay by themselves.

"It's not like we would have any parties, or anything," Penny blurted, and Katherine narrowed her eyes in disgust at her sister. _Way to let the cat out of the bag, Penny_, she thought miserably to herself. Burt's eyebrows raised nearly to the top of his head, and Carole wandered over to stand beside Jessica. Throwing her grandmother a covert look, Jess flushed with the effort of holding in her giggles. Carole looked back at Jessica, her eyes twinkling brightly. Carole could see the twinkling in her husbands' eyes, even if the girls standing before him couldn't.

Carole and Jess watched as Burt continued interrogating the girls, eventually figuring out that they had invited at least half the school to show up at their house while their fathers were away on their second honeymoon. Burt's face began taking on a puce undertone, as his blood pressure began rising with the effort of holding in his laughter. Soon, his face was purple, and Carole decided to intervene in order to keep Burt from having another heart attack.

"Girls," Carole clapped her hands sharply, drawing their attention away from Burt, who was sweating from the effort of trying to keep his amusement in check. "What your grandfather is trying to tell you, sweethearts, is that you two are grounded." A pair of groans erupted from the girls, and they both rounded on Jessica.

"What about Jess? She was in on it too!" Penny tried to convince Carole, but she was having none of it.

"Actually, Sweetie, Jessica was the one who told us about the party to begin with. We just wanted to confirm it before punishing the two of you." Both girls groaned again, and Katherine just had to get in a word at Jessica.

"You'll never be cool like us, _Messica_." She used her favourite mean nickname for Jess, whose eyes began to cloud over in hurt. "You'll _always _just be our loser little sister, tattle-tailing on those people who are better than you!" Penny nodded, agreeing with her sister, and Jessica burst into tears at the accusations.

"Now that's enough of that!" Burt's voice boomed over the soft sobs emanating from his youngest granddaughter, and the two eldest girls looked over to see their grandfather glaring at them harshly. They flinched, and scooted back, bumping into their grandmother in the process.

"You _will_ apologize to your sister, _right now,_" Burt's fury was barely contained, and the girls pressed right up against their grandmother as they whispered out emotionless 'I'm sorry's', and Carole placed her hands on either of the girls' shoulders. Burt slipped over to Jessica, who flung herself in his arms and sobbed gently. Carole carefully guided the two eldest girls to the living room, while Burt brought Jessica to the kitchen.

As Carole sat Penny and Katherine down on the couch, she studied them. Yes, she could get _very _creative with their punishments. She did have a lot of practice after all, raising their Uncle Finn entirely on her own for almost 16 years. She sat in front of them on the armchair, and stared at them for a solid five minutes, without saying a word. Carole watched the two become more and more uncomfortable, occasionally squirming in their seats as they tried not to flinch under her glare. Finally, Penny couldn't stand the pressure anymore.

"Well, if you're gonna do something, do it already!" Her tears began to flow, and Katherine simply rolled her eyes at the dramatics of her sister. Carole continued staring, as Penny sobbed gently. Continuing to stare at Katherine, Carole raised a single eyebrow. She stayed like that for another five minutes, and Katherine began to sweat gently. It was one of the most awkward things that Katherine had ever experienced. Having her grandmother simply staring at her, not saying a word, was starting to get to her. And to make matters worse, Penny had started hiccuping with every sob now. She rolled her eyes again, and sighed loudly. Carole simply continued to stare at her.

By the time the fifteen-minute mark had rolled around, Katherine was finished. It had been a nerve-wracking fifteen minutes, and a single tear slid down her cheek, as she waited for her grandmother to say something, _anything_, to stop the silence.

"Finally." Carole blurted out softly as she watched the tear slide down her granddaughter's face. "I thought we might be here all night." She leaned forward and wiped the tear from Katherine's face, and pulled both girls into a tight hug.

"Now listen to me, both of you, because this is extremely important." Carole's voice lowered, making sure both girls were listening intently. She placed a hand on each shoulder again, to let them know she still loved them, but that this conversation would determine the outcome of how long they were punished and what they had to do.

"Jessica is your _sister_, and tonight you two made her feel like the lowest form of dirt on the ground." Penny and Katherine exchanged a guilty glance; they both knew how much Jess hated being called _'Messica'_. A young man by the name of Adam had thought it was funny to tease Jess with that name all the previous year. It really hadn't been amusing, since Jess had had a crush on the young man. But he and his cronies had found it hilarious, and had even managed to get a few of their friends to call her that even now. It truly wouldn't have been so bad, but Jess had a _thing_ about messes. She was borderline Obsessive-Compulsive about neatness, always having to straighten up everything around her. Penny and Katie _knew_ it was mean to call Jessica that, but they had done it anyway, just to hurt her. And now they would be punished for it.

"I am going to sleep. In the morning, I want both of you up and dressed by seven. You are going to help me around the house tomorrow, as I have a _lot_ of cleaning to do." The girls groaned; house cleaning was _not_ fun, especially with Grandma. Katherine moved to turn on the television, but Carole stopped her.

"No. No TV. No stereo, no MP3 Players, no laptops, no cell phones." Both girls blinked in horror as Carole held her hands out for their phones. Penny threw her phone at Carole in disgust, and stomped off to the room she shared with Katherine. Katherine attempted to get out of handing over her lifeline by tucking it into the top of her panties, down her shorts.

"Katherine Elizabeth, do _not_ make me pull your shorts down to retrieve that thing," Carole growled, her hands on her hips as she stared the young girl down. With a definite gulp, Katherine pulled the slightly warm device from her underwear and reluctantly passed it over. As it reached Carole's hand, the phone rang. Before Katherine could reach out and answer it, Carole snatched it up, pressing the answer button.

"Hello?" Carole listened intently to the person on the other end of the line. "I am very sorry, Clark, but Katherine will not be available for the next month." Katherine groaned, her hands making grabby claws at the phone. Carole placed her hand out, stilling the girl with a simple gesture. "No, Clark, Penny won't be available either. You'll be able to see them at school, but otherwise, they are both grounded. Yes. Please inform all of their friends that their cell phone and laptop privileges have been revoked. Yes, revoked." Carole's eyes widened and a smile graced her lips for the first time in the conversation. "Look it up, Clark. Yes, that is exactly what I said. Perhaps if I've been able to teach you something, then this call wasn't a total waste of my time." She hung up without saying goodbye, and Katherine's face flushed beet red.

"That was _Clark Forrest_, Grandma! Do you know how long I've been waiting for him to ask me out? And now? He'll _never _ask again! You've ruined my whole life!" She burst into devastated tears, and stormed off to the room she shared with Penny, slamming the door on the way through.

Carole sighed. This was bound to be quite the interesting month.

* * *

><p>Burt sat Jessica down at the kitchen table, her soft sobs breaking his heart as he held her gently. She turned her face into his chest, her hands clutching at his shirt, as her heart-wrenching cries filled the small room. He rubbed her back soothingly, waiting for the deep hurt to dull a bit, before attempting to speak with her. Finally her sobs abated, and he murmured soft platitudes into her hair, gently kissing the top of her head.<p>

Jessica moved her head from his chest, laying her flushed face down on the table, letting the coolness of the polished wood soothe her tear-tracked cheeks. Burt rose, and grabbed the teapot and Jess' favorite tea. He knew that after a good cry, Jess preferred the chocolate mint oolong tea that his wife bought for him. Tea was better for him than coffee, and although he was a manly man, tough like bull, and all that, he had quite a sweet tooth. Hence the chocolate mint. He wouldn't drink any other tea than that, and it irked Carole to no end. He put the kettle on the stove, and waited for it to boil.

As he prepared everything, Jessica wiped her face with the handkerchief her Daddy always cautioned her to bring with her. She was always glad she had it, especially when something like this happened.

Burt placed everything on the table, serving both himself and Jess from the tomato teapot Kurt had bought him for his twenty-seventh birthday. His son had been a whopping six years old, and had worked very hard at his chores to be able to afford the amazing teapot he had seen in a store. Together with his mom, they had returned to the store once Kurt had amassed enough money, and she had helped him wrap his gift in bright blue wrapping paper, covered in butterflies. Burt could still remember the delighted smile Kurt had given him as he handed over his very own present for his Papa.

Shaking his head out of his reverie, he poured a mug of tea for his granddaughter, and then one for himself. As Jessica took the cup, she held it with trembling hands, her mind whirling over the names she had been called by her sisters.

"Papa?" She asked softly, and Burt looked over at the girl. He knew most of the time she acted more mature and responsible than either one of her sisters. Heck, sometimes she acted more grown-up than did her Father or Daddy. But it was times like this that made him remember exactly how old Jessica really was. And it made him sad to know that pretty soon she wouldn't want to spend time with him. He sighed softly.

"Yes, sweetheart?" He replied, taking a sip of his tea as he watched the emotions flit across her young face. She scrunched up her nose as she thought about what she wanted to say.

"Do you think I'll ever have a boyfriend?" She sniffed quietly, and Burt put down his cup. He leaned over, and rubbed small circles into her back.

"Oh, Jessie baby, of course you will," He murmured, his heart going out to the young girl. She had confessed just that morning that she never felt like she was any kind of attractive to the opposite sex. He smoothed her hair back from her face, the honey-blond strands slipping through his fingers as they tried to escape his hands. "You have so much time, honey. You're only thirteen. One day you will find someone, and you'll want to do, you know, _stuff_ with him, and it will be magical, okay?" Burt's heart raced in his chest, as he remembered a similar talk with his son many years ago. "But that won't be until your thirty, okay, pumpkin?" Jessica chuckled tearfully at her grandfather's joke. Then her face turned serious, and a faint blush stained her cheeks.

"Papa?" she whispered again, her eyes looking more frightened than Burt had ever seen on her before as she stared at the floor.

"Yes, baby?" Burt swallowed, hoping with everything he had that she wasn't about to ask him to explain the whole sex thing. It had been hard enough with Kurt. This was a talk for his sons, and he wasn't sure he would be able to do it without muddling it up.

"What if I don't want a boyfriend?" Burt barely heard the soft confession, and his eyebrows raised so high he thought he might never get them back. He reached over and took his granddaughter's hand in his own, tilting her crimson face up to look her straight in the eyes.

"Are you attracted to other girls, Jessica?" Burt's voice never rose above a whisper, but Jess flinched anyway at the question. Her face colored even further, and Burt detected the smallest of nods from his cherished little girl. His voice softened even more, and he pulled the once-again-tearful girl close to him for a hug.

"You've been raised by two of the most amazing men I have ever had the pleasure of knowing, sweetheart," Burt began, his hands smoothing Jessica's hair and rubbing circles into her back as he spoke. "They have _always_ been amazing, just like you," He chucked her on the chin, causing a soft giggle to slip between her lips. He smiled as he stared into her beautiful eyes.

"Love is love, babe. Period. If you happen to prefer girls, then I think you should be open about that. You know that everyone in this family is going to love you, no matter what, right?" He asked gently.

"Everyone but Katie and Penny," Jess scoffed, a new set of tears trailing down her cheeks.

"_Those_ two," It was Burt's turn to scoff. "I'm not sure when they turned into little witches, but I'm almost positive they still love you, Jess," His hands wrapped around his youngest granddaughter, pulling her in close for another hug.

They sat in silence for another five minutes, simply comfortable in each other's presence. Carole wandered into the room after that, and announced she was headed to bed, asking if Burt would care to join her? Jessica giggled as Burt turned seven shades of red, and harrumphed like an old man (which he _was_, of course). Jess announced she was tired as well, and would head to her room after cleaning up the tea dishes.

"Oh, sweetie, just leave them," Carole sighed, and Jess looked at her in wonder.

"No, that's okay," she replied, her hands already finding and squeezing the liquid dish soap into the water filling the sink. "I don't mind doing them. Really," she finished as Carole shot her a dubious look.

"All right then," Carole walked to where Jess stood at the sink, and kissed her granddaughter on the forehead softly. "Sweet dreams, love," And with that Carole exited the room, heading upstairs to her room, leaving Burt to say good night.

He placed his hands on Jessica's shoulders from behind, giving her a gentle squeeze and giving her a quick peck on the cheek.

"I love you, my little princess," Burt murmured, and his hands wrapped around her shoulders, tugging her tightly against him in a warm embrace. Letting go, she slowly turned to look at him, keeping her soapy hands in the water of the sink.

"I love you too, Papa Bear. Now go spend some time with your wife! She's going to think you've abandoned her," she joked, and Burt chuckled. He turned off the kitchen light, leaving Jess to continue scrubbing in the light of the overhead lamp above the sink. He sent one final look at the amazing girl before him, and then turned away to follow his wife upstairs. Jess finished cleaning the kitchen, wiped down the sink and counters, and tucked the wash cloth in behind the spigot for the sink before heading off to bed herself. It had been a very long day, and she was looking forward to escaping into the world of one of her books for a while.

* * *

><p>A soft knock sounded on Jessica's door about an hour after she went to bed. Since she was still reading, it didn't disturb her, but she did wonder who in the household might still be up. She placed a bookmark to hold her page, and answered the door. She was incredibly surprised to see both of her sisters there. Crossing her arms, she glared at them as they looked at each other guiltily, and then back at her.<p>

"Oh, you're still mad," Penny guessed, the look of malice on Jessica's face some indication of her frustration.

"What do you two want?" Jess asked harshly, unwilling to partake of this ridiculousness any longer than necessary. Katherine and Penny shrugged their shoulders in unison.

"We're sorry," Katherine started.

"Your forgiveness," Penny stated at the same time. Both girls looked at each other and chuckled, and a small smile graced Jessica's lips. For once the two didn't say exactly the same thing at exactly the same time. The smile was gone, however, by the time the two looked back at Jess.

"We're sorry and we want to ask your forgiveness," Katherine blurted out, her cheeks crimson as she studied the floor intently. Penny nodded fervently in agreement. Jessica just stood there for a moment, then sighed and let the other two girls into her room. She wasn't quite ready to forgive her sisters, but knew if she didn't at least make the effort, they would whine and wake up Grandma Carole and Grandpa Burt. So, reluctantly, she allowed them to come in. She had been gifted with the spare bedroom upstairs, while Katherine and Penny had been provided Daddy's old room in the basement, and it had been quite the trek for the two girls to make it up to Jessica's room without getting caught by their grandparents. She didn't actually want Katie or Penny in any further trouble because of her. So she let them in, and they spent half an hour talking about boys they liked, who their favourite movie stars were, and generally getting to know each other all over again. After her talk with Papa Burt, Jess was a little uncomfortable talking about boys. But she was willing to play along, unwilling to allow her sisters to let her be left out once more. Since Penny and Katherine had moved on to high school, leaving Jessica in middle school by herself, they had pretty well alienated her and Jessica was happy to finally feel included by her sisters. She chose a few of the more well-known boys at school, and prayed her sisters would find her conversation about them as annoying as she found theirs'.

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><p>Carole giggled softly as she heard the two girls slowly make their way past their grandparents door, on their way up to see their sister. Burt looked over at Carole in the dark, his eyes twinkling in the moonlight of the darkened room.<p>

"Guess you owe me ten bucks, huh?" he snickered, and Carole shushed him gently, slipping a hand over his mouth as she tried to control her own giggling.

"Shush, Burt, you're gonna tip them off to us knowing what they're doing!" Carole buried her face in Burt's shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her in for a quick cuddle. "So, Mister Hummel, how exactly did you know that those two would be headed upstairs to apologise to Jess?" she asked softly, her eyes sparkling like diamonds in the night. Burt imagined he had never seen Carole quite so beautiful as he did at that moment. Mind you, he _never_ thought she was more beautiful than when he was staring at her.

"Call it intuition," he answered, kissing his wife gently as they snuggled together under the covers. His mind drifted back over the conversation between Jess and himself.

"Oh, by the way. About Jess, she's pretty sure she prefers girls over boys," Carole's breathing hitched, her eyes seeking his in the darkness of the room.

"Really?" She lay her head down on Burt's chest, cuddling closer to him as he nodded. "Well, good for her for figuring that out. Hopefully she doesn't encounter as many issues as Kurt did when he first came out." Burt nodded softly, and together they listened to the girls giggling down the hallway for another fifteen minutes, before Burt snickered, and got up to "use the bathroom". When the girls heard the bathroom door close, the two older girls scampered down the stairs. Carole burst into more quiet giggles. When Burt returned to bed, they snuggled closely, falling into familiar comfort and together they fell asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Wow. You guys, I'm just. Wow. I haven't posted anything substantial in over a month, and you guys continue to favorite, alert and review as though life didn't up and kick me in the stomach. Your support and love has made me smile considerably over this past little while. And for that, I thank you, from the bottom of my heart. I am truly honored and humbled to continue to receive your affections. You guys make my life. Seriously. **

**Thanks once again to GleekMom, my beta, who helped me loads over the last month; as well as all my Twitmates on Twitter, you guys rock! Anyone who wants to can follow me on Twitter if you are so inclined, it's "at"Potikanda. **

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><p>Kurt and Blaine wandered through the airport, making their way from the arriving flight to their waiting family. Kurt's fingers were entwined with Blaine's, his thumb rubbing slow circles over Blaine's knuckles as they walked. It had been an amazing two weeks.<p>

First they had taken a cruise through the Bahamas, enjoying all the stops, including visiting the hotel in Aruba where they had spent their honeymoon. They had even managed to get the same little cottage as before, and had spent the night re-enacting a few of the love-making scenes they had shared the first time around.

Then they had caught a plane out of the South Bimini Airport, and made their way to Paris. Blaine had taken Kurt shopping. They had visited art galleries and monuments, and had exquisite French cuisine at a number of romantic restaurants. Kurt had fallen in love with the city, and even though they had only been able to go for a week, Kurt was determined that it was his favorite place in the world. On the plane ride back, Blaine had promised Kurt that if he wanted, Blaine would bring him back for their twentieth Anniversary. Kurt had squealed a little in joy, at least until the stewardess had asked them to please quiet down, other people were trying to sleep. That's what they got for taking an overnight flight.

Now they were home, about to see their girls for the first time in two weeks, and Kurt was nervous. He wondered what had his beautiful daughters been able to con his father into while they were away? Then his eyes caught his youngest standing close to the wall, and he pulled Blaine over to where his family waited.

"Dad, Daddy, HI!" Katherine and Penny were jumping all over the place, their excitement infectious, causing Blaine to begin bouncing up and down too. Kurt rolled his eyes in affection. They all hugged, making sure no one was left out, both men getting hugs from Burt and Carole as well as the girls.  
>"How was Paris, Daddy?" Katherine exclaimed in excitement. "Did you bring us anything?" She bounced from foot to foot, the exact same way she had when she was little. Kurt smiled softly at the recollection and assured her he had. Penny squealed, and asked him if they had brought anything for her, as well.<br>"Oh yes, Penelope. I have something for you in my bag!" Blaine giggled, and Kurt's face broke out into a huge smile. The gifts they had brought their daughters from Paris were small, so they could be transported easily, but would mean so much to each of them. Blaine brought Jessica in for a long hug; this was something he had missed dearly when he and Kurt had been away. The feeling of closeness to his daughters had been lacking somewhat lately, and he was happy to get to spend any time at all being close with each of them.

"What do you say we grab your bags and get outta here?" Burt gruffly reminded them, a smile belying the grouchiness of his voice. Burt didn't care much for airports; big crowds tended to make him uneasy.  
>"Tell you what," Blaine offered. "Why don't you two take the girls home in your car? I have a quick stop to make before we get there, and I'm not really sure how long it will take. It's a part of the girls' surprises, so I don't want them seeing it!" Blaine giggled as the girls groaned.<p>

"That is so unfair!" Katherine muttered, but reluctantly followed her grandparents as they ushered the three girls from the airport. Kurt and Blaine went to claim their luggage from the turnstile. They then made their way from the airport to the car, and settled the luggage in the back before climbing in to the front.

"Ready?" Kurt asked, smiling lovingly at his husband.

"For anything," Blaine replied, his smile reaching his eyes, and crinkling them slightly.

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><p>When Kurt and Blaine finally made it back to the house, their children were all extremely anxious to see them, but all for different reasons. Katherine was mostly interested in what her fathers had brought her from Paris. She had begged fervently to be allowed to go with them before they had left, and had been told firmly but nicely, no. Penny was worried because she had been caught smoking again, this time by her grandmother Carole, and was terrified of what her parents would say. Jessica was simply excited to see her dads and wanted to spend time just catching up and asking how Paris was and looking at the multitudes of pictures Dad told her he was going to take.<p>

As soon as Kurt and Blaine walked in the door, they were confronted with three very excited teenage girls.

Kurt once again gave hugs to all three girls, as Blaine and Burt brought the luggage down the hall to the master bedroom. Blaine came back holding three little bags, and Katherine squealed as she made grabby hands for one of them.

"Ah ah," Blaine murmured softly, opening his arms for a hug too. Penny and Katherine rolled their eyes, and moved forward to give him a quick hug, snatching their presents from his hands as they did so. Jessica moved forward once they were out of her way, and gave her Dad a huge smile as well as a tight squeeze, before moving off to the couch to open her gift.

The three girls opened the gifts. Each consisted of a French snow globe, depicting various French monuments; a key chain, all of the Eiffel Tower; a beautiful tee shirt with a Paris decal on it; and a small photo album, each showing a different place in Paris their fathers had been to. Katherine's photo album had pictures of her fathers having a picnic under the Eiffel Tower. Penny's album had pictures of them riding scooters around Paris, and stops at a small French Café. And Jessica's had pictures of them touring the Louvre, enjoying the artwork and the people surrounding them.

Katherine looked up from her gifts with a small frown. "Is this all you guys brought home for us?" She asked plaintively, clearly expecting more.

"Sweetie, it's all we had room in the bags for," Blaine explained, as Kurt's face fell in shock. Blaine moved over to Kurt's side, stroking his arm gently, trying to soothe him.

Katherine looked back at her gifts and sighed, then stood silently and hugged each of her dads. Without another word, she took her bag off to her room, leaving the others standing there in disbelief. Penny and Jessica looked at each other in silence, while Burt and Blaine watched Kurt. Penny then moved forward to Kurt's side, looking up at her father.

"I'm sure she didn't mean it like that, Daddy," Penny offered, her arms wrapping gently around her father's waist. Then, she too, grabbed her bag and wandered off to her room.

Burt coughed gently, and Jessica startled.

"Oh, Daddy." She walked over to Kurt, who was so offended that he looked to be close to tears. She wrapped her arms around him, leaning her head on his shoulder, as a small tear slipped down his cheek. "She didn't mean that, Daddy. She's just been telling everyone at school that you were going to bring home something really special for her, and she's upset that you got her the exact same things as you got for Penny and me. I'm sure she loves what you brought for her." And with that, she leaned down and pecked Kurt on the cheek, and hugged Blaine as well, murmuring a quick "Thank you," before taking her treasures upstairs to her room. Carole, understanding that Kurt was upset, pulled Burt to the living room and settled him on the couch watching a football game, before retreating to the kitchen to begin supper. Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt, pulling him gently to their room. As he sat Kurt down on the bed, he soothed Kurt's frazzled nerves with a quick backrub.

"Kurt, I'm so sorry," Blaine started, and Kurt looked at Blaine in surprise.

"Why are _you_ sorry? Katherine should be sorry, not you." Kurt sniffled softly, and Blaine pulled a tissue from the box beside the bed and handed it to him.

"I'm sorry that you had to deal with that just as you came in the door. We haven't even had a chance to unpack yet," Blaine murmured, his arms wrapping tightly around the man he loved again, trying to cheer him up. Kurt dabbed at his eyes, and softly blew his nose. They heard a tap at the door, and as one, turned to look as Carole peeked her head in.

"Dinner's almost ready, guys. I just made something easy; spaghetti with meat sauce. I know it's nothing compared to what you normally make, Kurt, but I figured it's something." Kurt smiled tremulously at Carole, and stood up, nearly toppling Blaine off the bed. He burst into quiet giggles as Blaine tried to right himself, shooting his husband a quick smile, and finally managed to stand as well. They both walked out to the dining room, and saw the girls sitting in their places, waiting on them. Jessica threw a nervous glance at Katherine, who had her head bowed down and a frown on her face. She looked like the other two girls had ganged up on her and she was now being petulant about the whole thing. Blaine sighed softly, and held the chair out for his love.

"Oh. Thank you, Blaine," Kurt murmured gently, throwing Blaine a soft smile and a look of pure adoration as he sat.

The family managed to get through dinner easily enough, and afterwards, Burt and Carole said their good byes. They had a couple of hours to drive back to Lima, and it was beginning to get dark. As Kurt and Blaine waved good bye, they heard a soft shuffling behind them. Kurt closed the door, while Blaine turned around, seeing his middle daughter standing in front of them. He coughed softly, getting Kurt's attention, and together they faced the young lady before them.

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><p>"I wanna go live with Mom," Penny blurted out, once they had sat down on the couch together. Kurt and Blaine exchanged anxious looks, wondering what had brought this on.<p>

"I'm pretty sure Kate wants to also," she added, looking up at her fathers pleadingly. Blaine shook his head softly, in denial, but also as though he was trying to understand why she would ask this of them. He passed a weary hand over his eyes, trying to cope with his jet lag as well as his rebelling daughter.

"May we have the courtesy of knowing why you would like to go live with a woman who has basically ignored you girls for the last ten years?" Kurt asked archly, his patience worn out as he snapped at his daughter. Penny looked at her Daddy, scared of what his answer would be if she told him.

"Kate told Jess and me that you and Dad had deliberately stopped Mom from seeing us…" Penny trailed off, unsure how to proceed. Kurt huffed softly, and Blaine stood up and paced the room. His anger was palpable, as he ran his hands through his hair in frustration.

Blaine's voice took on a note of steel, the same way it got any time he was trying not to lose his temper. "I'm sorry to have to tell you this, Penny, but that's simply not the case." Penny's shoulders hunched in on herself, making her look even smaller than she already was. Kurt noticed, and slid over on the couch to sit next to the girl. He looked at Blaine, tears in his eyes as he tried his best to reassure the girl's fears.

"Blaine, sit down, you're making my head spin." Kurt grumbled, before placing his arm gingerly around the emotionally fragile girl. "Penny, sweetie, look at me." He tilted Penny's head up, and saw the tears that looked ready to overflow. Blaine sat on Penny's other side, and handed her a Kleenex. Kurt took a moment to stare at the beautiful girl before him, then took a deep breath, and began.

"Penny, when your Mom left, she didn't just leave your Dad, she left all of you. It hurt him so much that he waited for nearly six months before he decided she wasn't ever coming back. That was when he hired me," Penny's sniffles stopped abruptly, as she looked up at her Daddy in wonder.

"H-Hired you?" A soft voice came from near the doorway, and Blaine looked up to see Katherine and Jessica standing there. With a small gesture, he led them both over to the couch, sitting them down beside their sister. Kurt looked at all three girls gravely.

"Yes, hired me. I was your nanny before I was your father." The girls looked at one another in astonishment. They had never heard the story of how their fathers had met and gotten married before now. Blaine jumped in.

"It was amazing. You, Katherine, were no more than four years old when we first met Daddy. I had taken you three to the park, and you were playing. I got side-tracked trying to change Jess, and you disappeared on me. It so happens, you had found Kurt." He looked over the heads of his daughters at the man he adored, and gestured for Kurt to continue.

"Well, you walked right up to me, Katherine, as bold as you please, and told me I looked sick!" Kurt laughed, remembering. "Which, as a matter of fact, I was! Then you climbed up onto the bench I was sitting on and nearly fell off!" Jessica and Penny smiled; Katherine had inherited some of Blaine's unintentional clumsiness. "I caught you, and you had the gall to place your hand on my forehead and pronounce that I was hot!" The girls giggled, along with Kurt and Blaine, as they imagined little Katherine saying these things to a complete stranger.

Kurt continued telling the tale, until he got to the part where Blaine had had his heart attack, and his voice caught in his throat.

"Shhhh, I'm all right," Blaine stood and made his way over to his husband. He pulled Kurt up into a gentle hug, rubbing Kurt's back softly. Their girls hadn't known about the heart attack either; they had been too young to know what was going on back then, and their Dad's hadn't seen fit to trouble them with the story before now. Blaine continued in a quiet tone.

"I had a heart attack the day I discovered I was in love with your Daddy." All three girls gasped, Penny's hand flying to her throat in disbelief. "That's part of the reason Daddy cooks so health-conscious, to keep it from happening to me again. But while I was in the hospital, your mother showed up. She threatened to take us to court because Kurt wasn't a woman." The three girls gasped again, and Katherine let out an indignant "What?"

"Yeah. She seemed to think that because she was a woman she would be able to raise you three better than Kurt and I could." Blaine's voice dropped low; he was beginning to get worked up about it again, so he rubbed Kurt's back a little longer. By this time, Kurt had recovered from his panic attack, and lay his head on Blaine's shoulder, and continued where Blaine left off.

"She actually managed to get a hold of you, too," Kurt said, remembering. Penny and Jessica looked at each other in alarm. "She had filed a report of child abuse against me and you were taken from our care." Kurt and Blaine did not want to explain exactly what the allegations were. "We had to talk to social workers and the police. It took us three days to get you girls back. You were traumatised when you were returned to us. But, I do remember clearly, that was the day Jessica said her first word." Both Kurt and Blaine looked toward their youngest daughter, who blushed softly in response. Blaine sobered again quickly.

"I actually wanted your mom to be a part of your lives throughout your childhood, girls," Blaine murmured, his voice melancholy. "But after she decided that Kurt and I were 'disgusting', she never contacted us for visitation rights, or made any attempt to see you." Katherine hung her head sadly, and Jess and Penny moved to either side of their sister, hugging her close to them.

"I j-just w-wish," Katherine began, and then her voice trailed off, dissolving into tears. Blaine shared a concerned glance with Kurt, then walked to his eldest daughter, kneeling before her. He placed a hand gently on her knee, and she looked into his eyes.

"What do you wish, Kate?" Blaine asked quietly. Kurt's breath hitched. It had been the first time Blaine had ever used a nickname for Katherine.

"I-I just wish I was s-special…" Katherine answered, her voice sounding hopelessly lost and confused. "I thought, m-maybe if I w-went to mom's, I-I might be able to prove to s-somebody how special I-I really am!" Blaine's eyes pricked with tears, and he looked into the faces of his other girls as well. This topic was making them all cry, it seemed.

"Oh, Katherine." Blaine reached forward, and pulled all three girls into a hug, his arms surrounding them with love and warmth and acceptance.

"You _are_ special, sweetheart. You are _all_ special, and do you know why?" Katherine shook her head softly, her heart feeling as though it was shattering into a million pieces.

"You are special because there is no one out there quite like you, my darling, beautiful girl," Blaine murmured, leaning forward until his forehead pressed gently against Katherine's.

"There is no one out there as special and amazing as _any_ of our three girls," Kurt amended, walking forward and enveloping Blaine and the girls in an even bigger hug. "Having two fathers is no different from having a mother and a father," Blaine explained, his heart going out to his beautiful girls. "We both love you all so very much," Blaine whispered, his voice cracking from the emotion he was showing.

"I may not be your mother," Kurt whispered. "But I love you so very, very much, and I will never leave you, I can promise you that! And that's something that will never change. I will love you all until the day I die. Hopefully wearing something ridiculously expensive and fashionable." Kurt's smiled as he managed to coerce giggles from his three adorable children, and his loving husband.

"Now, may I ask what brought that on?" Kurt asked softly, wrapping his arms once more around his girls, as best he could anyway.

"Penny got caught smoking again," Katherine blurted out, making Penny turn crimson, and causing Kurt to roll his eyes. He never could get past his eldest daughters penchant for changing the subject.

"Again? Penny, why on Earth would you want to do that to your lungs?" Kurt asked, his hands slowly sliding through his middle girls' hair, smoothing it back from her face like he had done since she was little. Penny's eyes dropped, her mouth turning down in a frown. She refused to answer, so Katherine answered for her.

"Penny has a boyfriend. He smokes, so she thinks he'll be more willing to stay with her if she smokes too." Penny shot a murderous glare at her sibling, wishing nothing more than to have the earth swallow her up before her dads could do anything to the boy she loved. Yes, she was pretty sure she loved him. They had only exchanged a few small kisses behind the gym, but she was positive she loved him and knew he loved her back.

Kurt and Blaine exchanged glances, and Kurt nodded.

"All right. Penny, you and I are going to have a 'mental health day' tomorrow. I'll explain what that means in the morning. For now, I want you all to go upstairs and go to bed. It's nearly ten and you have to be up early in the morning." The girls groaned, but complied quickly enough.

"Oh, and Katherine?" Blaine spoke with a hint of steel in his voice. The girl turned on the stairs and faced the two fathers. "You _will_ be writing your father an apology for your rudeness, won't you?" Katherine's eyes widened, and she blushed fiercely. Nodding softly, she continued on her way.

Once they were upstairs, Kurt and Blaine collapsed on the couch, ready to call it quits for another day. They looked at each other, love and adoration in each others' eyes.

"I love you, Blaine." Kurt murmured softly, standing and holding his hand out for Blaine. As Blaine grasped Kurt's hand and stood, looking deep into Kurt's eyes.

"I love you too, Kurt." They moved together towards their bedroom, and showed each other exactly how much they loved each other.


	6. Chapter 6

**You guys are so awesome! You know I love you! After the last chapter, I was kindly told by my beta, GleekMom, that I have issues with getting Kurt and Blaine to stick to a punishment for the girls. I love to write them as pushovers, but I know I have to make them a bit more believable. So this is primarily Kurt, giving Penny some "Tough Love". Apologies in advance to Brittana and Quick lovers; this is more AU than anything. I don't really believe this will happen to them, I promise! I just needed a really good scare tactic! XD Enjoy!**

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><p>As soon as Katherine and Jessica had been dropped off at the bus stop, Kurt made an executive decision. He asked Penny to sit in the front seat with him, and they drove around for a bit. Kurt was looking for something in particular, and Penny didn't seem very inclined to ask what that was. Kurt finally spotted it, and pulled over to the side of the road.<p>

Penny blinked, unfamiliar with this part of town. It was a little more run down than she was used to, and the people around here seemed a bit, well, uncouth. Daddy would have called them uncivilized. Kurt waited for her to jump out of the vehicle, locking it automatically as he walked beside his daughter.

Together they made their way down the street to a bar. Penny blinked again; she had never been to a bar, and was a little hesitant to follow her father into that place. But she was more worried about staying out in the parking lot. There was a creepy man with a mohawk and a leather jacket staring at her.  
>Kurt seemed at ease in the bar, making his way over to the counter as though he'd been there many times.<p>

"Hey, Santana," Kurt muttered, pulling his daughter next to him, seating her on the stool and giving Santana a look that clearly said "help me with this and I'll make it worth your while".

"Porcelain," the woman behind the bar nodded her head, looking askance at the fifteen-year-old seated next to Kurt. Penny's eyebrows shot up to her hairline; no one called her Daddy anything as rude as Porcelain, especially not weird women who had too many tattoos and worked at a bar. She looked at her father, who looked back down at her.

"'Tana, I need some help," Kurt began, his eyes travelling back to the bartender who stood before him, wiping a glass with what looked to Penny to be a dirty rag. "Penny, I knew Santana in high school. We were in the same glee club together."

"And?" The woman asked archly, tossing her dark brown hair over her shoulder and replacing the glass under the bar.

"This is Penelope," Kurt offered, nodding his head at Penny. Santana looked over the young girl, who flushed as she realized she was being scrutinized.

"Penny," she squeaked softly, trying to make herself heard over the harsh rock music playing in the background.

"Penny," Santana drawled, leaning forward over the counter and looking the girl from head to toe.

"Santana," Kurt growled softly. "Penny was caught smoking." The woman threw her head back and laughed, her husky voice loud and raucous in the dark confines of the bar.

"Best damn day of my life when I started," Santana laughed again, sarcastically this time, showing her teeth at the now slightly terrified young girl. "Did your Dad tell you I started because of a boy?" Penny shook her head, her eyes wide in disbelief. It was weird knowing just who her Daddy had hung around with in school.

"His name was Karofsky. Kind of a jerk, especially with him pushing Porcelain around all the time," Santana explained, a bit vaguely. "I wasn't ready to tell the world I was in love with a girl at that point, and decided I needed a beard. Do you know what a beard is, chiquita?" Penny shook her head softly, trying to take in what this woman kept saying. She had been in love with a girl? Does that mean she was gay? Santana laughed at the look on the young girls face.

"Try to keep up, sweetie. Yes, I'm a lesbian. But I didn't really accept that until later. So, a beard? That's when a gay guy and a gay girl start dating, to cover up the fact that they're gay. Get me now?" Penny nodded, her eyes extremely wide as she listened.

"So, Karofsky was my beard, and I was his. Then we began hanging out more, going out on dates," Santana crooked her fingers in quotation marks as she spoke. "Then he decided it wasn't working anymore. It was over the summer, so nobody knew about him and me, except my close friends." Santana's voice lowered a bit, her frustration growing as she recounted the story.

"I finally had to come to terms with the fact that I was in love with my best friend, Brittany." Kurt looked over at Penny, watching the emotions float over her face as she processed the information. "But she was in love with Artie," Penny gasped, as she recognized two of her parents' friends. Auntie Britt and Uncle Artie had been over for Thanksgiving once when she had been younger, along with their four children. Santana nodded, seeing that Penny had recognized the pair.

"That's right. They got together in high school, and have stayed together since then." Santana had to stop for a moment; telling this story was always hard, but she was a strong woman, and no stupid little story was going to make her cry. She did grow up in Lima Heights Adjacent, after all. Penny looked at Santana with a new emotion; to Santana it looked like pity, and her mouth tightened into a deep frown.

"Don't you pity me, little girl," Santana growled softly, feeling the hackles on the back of her neck rise as she fought to control her anger. "I am just fine the way I am." She shook her head softly, smoothing her hair down; she needed a smoke. She put down the glass and the rag, and emerged from behind the counter. Motioning to Kurt and Penny, she led the way through the back, exiting the building to the small smoking area. Turning, she looked at Penny, staring her down as she continued her story.

"I started smoking during senior year. My friend Quinn was doing it, Britt didn't love me, I was definitely in love with her, and Karofsky had dumped my ass because he still wanted to be straight. Asshole," Penny blinked at the swear; her Dads didn't swear, and although she had heard and even used some of the swears she knew, it still wasn't the same as hearing an adult do it so casually.

"So that's when I started smoking. At first I hated it, because the taste sucked. I hated the way my clothes always smelled bad. But I kept doing it, because the first week of smoking, I lost five pounds. I figured it was a cheap and easy way to lose weight, and then I became addicted. I couldn't go for more than two hours without a smoke." Santana deliberately paused, taking a drag from her smoke, blowing it in the young girl's face, causing her to cough. She smiled evilly, shooting a quick glance at Kurt, who stood behind Penny. He nodded quickly; he approved of her teaching method, and she knew he would pay dearly for taking up her time. She was going to make his life a living hell until he paid her for this favour. Absolutely.

"Finally I was kicked off the Cheerios," Santana continued, pausing slightly as another person came out the doors. Penny flinched back into her daddy as the creepy mohawked guy in leather came out, and pulled out a smoke as well.

"W-What's the Cheerios?" Penny asked in a small voice.

"Damn, Hummel, you never tell your kids nothing about high school or what?" The creepy guy stated, his eyes looking up and down Kurt, taking in the fashionable but demure clothes he wore. Kurt glared back, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I was asking Santana for her help, Puck. Not you. I don't need to owe two favors today," Kurt said acerbically, his eyebrow quirking in his best Bitch, please, face. Puck chose to ignore him, and continued as though Kurt hadn't spoken at all.

"The Cheerios were only the best high school cheerleading team in Ohio, sweet cheeks." He leaned over, leering at Penny, who cowered back into Kurt's arms. "Coach by the name of Sue Sylvester. Crazy as loaded dice, but she knew how to get the best performance out of those girls. And the outfits they wore," Puck trailed off, reminiscing. Penny gasped, looking up at Kurt.

"Coach Sylvester?" She asked hesitantly. Kurt nodded in agreement.

"Yes the very same. Penny and Katherine have Sue as their cheerleading coach." Both Santana and Puck's eyebrows raised, Santana's in query and Puck's in amusement.

"I can't believe that bitch is still coaching!" Santana spit out in disgust. "I figured she would have been sued, or fired, or something."

"Actually, she was fired from McKinley. She works now at Widdifield, the high school the girls go to," Kurt replied, shaking his head in bewilderment. "I have no idea why she hasn't been fired from there yet. She tried the cannon stunt with my girls a bit earlier in the year." Puck's eyes widened, and he looked at Penny with something akin to respect.

"She still has that thing?" Puck exclaimed, drawing another puff of his cigarette. He shook his head in accordance with Kurt, and then threw the smoke on the ground.

"'Tana, we gotta get set up for that band tonight. Get your ass back inside and help, will ya?" And with that, Puck left. Santana chuckled softly.

"He may be a pain in the ass, but he's my pain in the ass," Santana murmured. She stole a look at Penny, whose wide eyes told her everything she needed to know.

"Yeah, he's my husband," Santana muttered, her eyes conveying none of the sorrow she felt deep inside.

"But… but I thought…" Penny looked from Santana to the now closed door, then back. "I thought you were l-lesbian," Penny quietly murmured, afraid of what the woman would say. Santana looked at her pensively, waiting a moment before grinding out her smoke under her heel.

"That's what happens when you settle," Santana growled, opening the door before her. "You owe me, Porcelain." Kurt nodded; he knew that. "Catch you on the flip side,"

And with that, Santana was gone.

Kurt walked Penny around to the front of the building, and back to the car. As they climbed into the front seat, Kurt took in the shaking form of his middle daughter.

"Any questions?" He asked quietly as he started the car. Penny nodded.

"This wasn't just about smoking, was it?" Kurt quirked his eyebrow slightly. Penny flushed and continued.

"This is what happens when you don't fight for what you want, isn't it? This is what happens when you lose sight of who and what you want in life. Daddy?" Kurt nodded to Penny, glancing at her quickly before sliding his gaze back to the front of the vehicle.

"Yeah?"

"Please don't ever let me lose sight of my goals." And with that soft-spoken statement, Penny remained quiet for the remainder of the drive home.

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><p>When they got home, Penny retreated to her bedroom, to contemplate the morning she'd spent with her Daddy. Kurt flopped down onto the couch, his legs automatically going up to rest on Blaine's lap, in a gesture of needing comfort established not long after they had been married. Knowing that Kurt needed love and comfort, Blaine automatically began massaging Kurt's feet. Kurt moaned softly, enjoying the ministrations.<p>

"I took Penny to see Santana today," Kurt offered. Blaine raised an eyebrow in query. "It was the best way I could think of to get her to stop smoking."

"Ahhh," Blaine commented, agreeing softly. He knew Santana's history almost as well as Kurt did. Yes, if anyone could scare his daughter straight, it was Santana.

"I think she put the fear of God into Penny, if you'll excuse the reference," Kurt sighed regretfully. "I wish it hadn't come to that, but honestly, I didn't know what else to do." Kurt leaned back against the end of the couch, shaking his head gently. Blaine scooted up the couch to cuddle him in his arms.

"Hey. Don't worry, alright? If Santana's her normal self, then she definitely would have scared Penny straight. And if not, we can always try making Penny chain smoke until she vomits. I've heard that can be an effective way to get someone to stop smoking," Kurt looked at Blaine in horror.

"That's a terrible thing to do to your daughter, Blaine!" Kurt exclaimed, earning himself a soft chuckle from his husband.

"I know. But if it comes right down to it, would you rather do that or let Penny kill herself slowly by smoking?" Blaine's warm hazel eyes found Kurt's icy blue ones, and they shared a look of pure love.

"You're right. I know it. I just can't help but feel like I'm responsible for all of this. If I was a better father…" Blaine looked Kurt right in the eyes, a tone of steel lacing his voice as he spoke next.

"That is quite enough of that!" Blaine tilted Kurt's head up to look at him, and caught a faint trace of tears in Kurt's gaze. "Oh, Kurt." Blaine slipped his hand up and began brushing Kurt's hair away from his eyes.  
>"No one thinks you are responsible for Penny smoking, babe. This is something she started, and has to finish herself. And as for you not being a good parent," Blaine leaned forward, and planted a soft, passionate kiss on Kurt's lips, reminding the other man of his love. As he leaned back, he began to murmur softly. "You have been an amazing parent, Kurt. You have stayed home for the last ten years, making sure those girls have all of the love, affection, and attention they could ever need or want. You've been there through scraped knees, first kisses, learning to read, and in Jessica's case, learning to walk. You've made dinner every single night for ten years, you've made lunches and breakfasts too. You drive the girls to all of their practices, games and competitions, and never once have you ever complained about any of it." Blaine was winding down now, and the tears that had threatened Kurt earlier had begun to fall in earnest. Blaine pressed his forehead against Kurt's, letting their breath mingle softly in the sunlit room. "I love you, Kurt," Blaine whispered, letting his love shine through his eyes so that Kurt would truly understand what he felt.<p>

"I love you too, Blaine." Kurt whispered back, leaning forward to accept another kiss from his husband.  
>As the two cuddled on the couch, they were unaware of a presence in the hallway, skulking away after hearing most of what had been said.<p>

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><p>"I'm telling you guys, Daddy is really scaring me right now." Jessica blurted out, confronting both of her sisters with the information she had overheard earlier that afternoon. Katherine snorted, flouncing over to her vanity and sitting down, touching up her make-up. She had a date later, and wanted to look her best.<br>"I don't believe you," she said quickly, her hair flipping over her shoulder as she pulled a brush through it. Daddy would never leave; he had said so himself. Jessica was just over-complicating things again. Penny, who sat quietly on Katherine's bed, didn't seem so sure.

"Do you guys remember Auntie Brittany? The one who came with Uncle Artie quite a few Thanksgivings ago?" She looked at the other two girls in the room. Jessica had a blank stare on her face, but Katherine looked intrigued.

"The one with the wheelchair? Yeah, I remember him. Why?" Katherine asked temperamentally.

"I got to meet her ex. From high school. Today, when Daddy took me out." Katherine looked over at Penny, wondering why she looked so shook up.

"So? What's such a big deal about that?" Katherine turned back to the mirror, clearly bored with the whole conversation.

"Her ex… was a woman." Katherine looked over at Penny, her entire body language clearly asking why this was such a big deal. Jessica, however, now looked intrigued.

"A woman. Call the newspapers, we have us a bi-curious Auntie!" Katherine replied sarcastically, shaking her head in annoyance. "Seriously, if that's all there is, you can leave now!" She made a shooing motion towards the door.

"No! That's not all there is, Kate!" Penny was getting frustrated by Katherine's attitude. What the hell was wrong with her sister? "Her ex's name was Santana, and I've never seen anyone as…. unruly… as this Santana person was. She seemed so much like a snake, ready to bite my head off if Daddy hadn't been there. But, underneath? I don't even know. It was like…. she was so sad, you know?" Jessica nodded, her hands clasped tightly together as she listened. "She seemed so… alone," Penny finished, and she wiped away a small trace of moisture from her cheek. Katherine shook her head.

"So? A lot of people are alone! Doesn't mean they can't be happy. Look at me! I'm alone, and I couldn't be happier!" Katherine smirked, raising her eyebrows haughtily at her sisters.

"Actually, Kate, you haven't seemed happy at all, lately," Jessica murmured softly, catching Katherine's eyes in the mirror. "Not since Jacob…"

"Enough!" Katherine jumped up, all fury now. She stalked forward, advancing on her quickly retreating sisters. "You are not allowed to talk about that! That is my personal business and you can't tell me what to do! Get out of my room!" As her sisters retreated to their own bedrooms, Katherine broke down in tears, and flopped across her bed morosely.

It simply wasn't fair. Why did Jacob have to like that bimbo? What did Allison have that she didn't? Katherine couldn't figure it out, and she spent the better part of the afternoon and evening crying her eyes out.

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><p><strong>See? Tough Love. Reviews are cookies and ice cream, and I LOVE me some cookies and ice cream! Love you all!<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**Wow. Two uploads in the same weekend people! HAHAHA! I am sorry this is so short, but I felt it didn't need anything else to complete the chapter, so ended it where I did. Kurt is finally taking his life into his own hands, and making some changes! Go Kurt! XD**

**Same old, same old. I own nothing, and nothing owns me!**

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><p>Kurt walked into the room, his head turning this way and that, observing the other members silently. They had formed little groups, chatting away with each other about their week, and he was actually relieved to see a small group of three other men amongst all the women at the meeting. This meeting would determine whether he would continue coming: he still wasn't sure about parenting classes, but figured it was worth a try. And the flyer had read that it was open to everyone. He slowly wandered toward the group of men.<p>

"Heya," said a tall, slender man with black hair and blue eyes. He introduced himself as Jeff, and the other two men as Chad and Adrian. Kurt smiled a little; Adrian was short and round, his balding head combed over with hair. Kurt shuddered internally. Chad was average height, nearly the same size as Kurt, and was utterly average looking, with brown hair and eyes. Except for his smile. When he smiled, his face lit up and he looked positively gorgeous.

"Nice to see a new face here," Adrian commented, taking a sip of his coffee as he looked around at the women who were starting to take their seats. He motioned to the other three men, and Kurt was glad to follow along as they all took seats. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all.

The meeting began, and a short, frumpy woman stood, welcoming everyone to the class, and introducing herself as Isabelle. She started out with a quick reminder about no cell phones, and Kurt hastily dug into his pocket for his iPhone. Turning it off, he caught a glance from Chad, who grinned as he turned off his own phone. Kurt grinned back, then turned his attention back to the woman at the front.

This week's meeting was planned around successfully chauffeuring teens around to different activities, with certain parents raising hands, asking questions, and others furiously scribbling into notebooks they had brought. Kurt found the whole social interaction of the meeting somewhat cathartic, knowing that he wasn't the only parent going through the busy hustle of having teenagers.

As he paid attention, he noticed that Adrian had pulled out his phone, and was playing a card game on it. Kurt frowned slightly, but figured Adrian really didn't care about the topic being taught. Once the lesson was over, Isabelle stepped down to a smattering of applause, as another lady stepped up. This woman was a tall, willowy blond, and reminded him a bit of Quinn Fabray, from back in Lima. She opened the floor to questions, and called on an older woman who stood nervously.

"My name is Ann Marie." She nodded quietly to the folks around her, her hands nervously twisting around each other. "I have a problem. My son, Paul, is fifteen. He's been withdrawn lately, and I figured it was the usual teenage rebellion thing. You know," A few heads nodded, and Kurt found himself nodding along with them. He understood about teenage rebellion, first hand.

"Well, last night he tried to sneak out. I caught him, of course; he wasn't very stealthy. He tripped over the rug in the hallway, and I asked what he was doing." She paused, as though afraid to go on. "He told me he was… going out to visit his… boyfriend." Her voice had dropped as she spoke, her speech barely more than a whisper as she said the final word. She blushed from the tips of her roots to the base of her neck, and Kurt frowned. He noticed a few other faces in the crowd frowning too, and one woman stood up to face Ann Marie.

"So, you have two problems here," The woman stated, her eyes roaming over the crowd. "Firstly, your son was sneaking out late at night. Of course, punishment is in order for that. Any suggestions?"

A few hands tentatively were raised, and Kurt was able to only hear a couple of answers. His mind was whirling. What was the other problem that she was referring to? Was it the fact that the boy was gay? What would the other people in the room think? Would they be for or against the boy's relationship? Kurt was just about ready to get up and leave. But as he reached for his shoulder bag, he felt a hand on his arm, and looked up into Jeff's blue eyes.

"Wait," Jeff murmured softly, and that was enough to calm Kurt's fears. He blinked twice, then settled his bag back on the floor. If Jeff had faith in the meeting, then Kurt would listen. But if Jeff were proved wrong, Kurt would never return. Of that he was certain.

"So, Ann Marie, do you like the solution to the sneaking out?" The forceful woman asked; Ann Marie nodded her head, continuing to scribble the notes down in her notebook. "Excellent. Now, we have another issue to address here." Kurt's eyebrow raised as he waited silently for the bomb to drop.

"Your boy is gay, and we all know what happens when gay boys get together, right?" She looked around the room, nodding along with many of the others. She pursed her lips. "So. Do we have any ideas on how to make sure these boys do not get bullied at school?" She looked around the room for answers, and Kurt let out his breath in a huff. Jeff looked over and smiled at Kurt.

"I knew it." Jeff whispered. Kurt looked back at Jeff, his eyebrow quirked in question. Jeff smiled, his attention refocused on the front, as the parents all tried to come up with feasible ways to keep the boy from being bullied. Kurt remained mute while he listened; a number of the parents seemed to be coming up with some really good ideas, and he was surprised at how little resistance the topic seemed to merit.

Once the meeting was over, quite a few of the women in the room came up to Kurt, asking him questions about being gay, and if he had ever been bullied in school. Kurt was flabbergasted. He'd never heard such personal questions from complete strangers before, but it wasn't as though they were being mean about it. They were genuinely curious, and held very little animosity towards him. Finally, the forceful woman came forward, and held up her hands to quiet them.

"I'm sure Mr…" She trailed off, looking to Kurt for his name.

"Kurt. Hummel." Kurt managed to spit out.

"I'm sure Mr. Hummel would be more than happy to answer questions, ladies, but it's already getting late. Most of your teens will be home by now. I suggest asking them at the next meeting? That is, assuming you'll be joining us again, Mr. Hummel?" She looked to Kurt for confirmation.

"Uh. Yeah. I… I would like to come back," Kurt stammered, surprised when everyone still present smiled widely. He felt like he must have crossed into the Twilight Zone. He was waiting for Rod Serling to start a voice over, but that was silly. Wasn't it?

As most of the others left, Jeff stood around, waiting for Kurt to finish talking. Kurt had been approached by the forceful woman, who had introduced herself as Camille. She had asked if he would be interested in telling his story at the next meeting, and then they had exchanged phone numbers. He had told her he would give her an answer by the end of the week. He turned, and Jeff smiled at him, clearly enjoying the attention Kurt was receiving.

"So, what did you mean, earlier?" Kurt asked. He shouldered his bag, and followed Jeff from the room, walking with him to their cars, which were parked quite close together in the now empty parking lot. Jeff turned around, and leaned casually on the door of his car, tucking his hands in the pockets of his jeans as he looked around the vacant street.

"I had you pegged within the first thirty seconds of seeing you as being gay," Jeff grinned, allowing Kurt to see that he meant it in a nice way; he wasn't being mean. "It's cool," Jeff stated calmly, laughing as Kurt began to frown, thinking Jeff was teasing or taunting him.

"No, really it is," Jeff chuckled again, his wild black hair flipping all over in the breeze. "See, when I organised this whole thing, I made sure to set out some ground rules for those coming in." Kurt's eyes bugged out as he realised he was speaking to the founder of the organisation. Jeff laughed again, the look on Kurt's face too adorable for words.

"But…. You're straight, aren't you?" Kurt's voice cracked softly as he watched the emotions play over the man's face.

"I am, yeah." Jeff lost his grin, and his eyes became much more contemplative. He looked around, watching the breeze blowing a plastic bag down the street, along with a bunch of dead leaves. "But my little brother wasn't." Jeff shrugged his shoulders gently, sorrow passing over his handsome features as he recalled the past.

"Cameron was fifteen when he came out. He had found a boyfriend, someone who loved him dearly, and I was ecstatic for him. It was a little weird, him actually saying it out loud, but I had always known, since we were little." Jeff released a sigh, his head bowing as he continued his tale.

"By the time he was seventeen, he was a shell of his former self, he had been bullied so badly. His first boyfriend had screwed him, then outed him to the whole school. Never letting anyone know he had taken Cam's virginity in the process. He didn't want to be labelled gay too. So he had his fun, and then destroyed any confidence Cam had. Cam started getting depressed; he'd spend hours in his room, doing nothing at all. Or so we thought. Mom finally walked in on him cutting himself in his bathroom. The marks on his arms and legs told us that he'd been doing it for a long time. Possibly for years. I'd never known." Jeff's breath hitched, and Kurt lay a comforting hand on his shoulder. Jeff looked up at Kurt, tears standing in his eyes, and a grimace crossed his face.

"I found him, one day. After school. He'd cut too deeply into his arm. I called the ambulance, but they said he'd been dead for hours. He never got up that morning. I'd heard him wandering around in his room, so I assumed he was getting up. Mom left before we got up for school; she always did. When I got there I held him, Kurt." Jeff's tears were running freely now, and Kurt's were washing over his face too. "He was cold, Kurt. My baby brother. So cold. And his eyes. His eyes were vacant. They saw nothing. Nothing ever again." Jeff was doubled over, his breathing laboured, and Kurt pulled open the passenger side door to his Blazer. He guided Jeff to sit on the front seat, pulling Kleenex from the glove box and sharing it with Jeff. He leaned against the truck, allowing Jeff a quiet moment to compose himself, as he wiped away the tears.

"The number one rule for these meetings, Kurt," Jeff continued, once he had found his voice again. "Is that we never bully or hurt one another. We are supportive, and I know that hurts some of us sometimes. Camille in particular, was difficult to convert. She was once one of our worst bullies here. You saw how forceful she can be when she puts her mind to something?" Kurt nodded; Camille would be a terrifying force to be reckoned with.

"Well, at first, she had been using that forcefulness to get everyone to agree with her all the time. Once we finally managed to get her to see that it wasn't helping her at all, she became much nicer." Kurt scoffed, and Jeff laughed gently, almost a painful sound after all the crying he had done.

"Oh, I know, Kurt." Jeff grinned, his smile making Kurt's heart squeeze painfully in sympathy. "She can be a pain in the ass sometimes. But she's exceptionally organised, and I count myself lucky to have her as my number two. Without her, I never would have been able to expand and bring these kinds of meetings to over twenty different cities throughout Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and West Virginia. Not only do we help the parents, but we invest time and energy into the kids as well. Parental programs are held on one night of the week, and kids' programs are usually a different night. For us here in Columbus, kids night is Fridays. We hold dances, we have parties, we find fun things for them to do that don't involve drugs or alcohol. All in memory of my brother." Jeff's voice gentled, looking at Kurt again. It made Kurt's insides feel fluttery, as though Jeff could see into Kurt's soul. Only one person had ever made Kurt feel that way before. It was a little disconcerting.

"You remind me of my brother, Kurt." Jeff's voice was so quiet, Kurt had to strain to hear what Jeff was saying. "And yet, you are so different, too." Kurt looked up into Jeff's eyes, as the man slowly climbed from the front seat of Kurt's Blazer. His heart fluttered again, and Jeff slowly placed his arms around Kurt's shoulders. Jeff leaned in, and the two hugged, very gently. Kurt was having a mild panic attack, thinking Jeff was going to kiss him, but Jeff never attempted any such thing. He simply hugged Kurt, and pulled away.

"You are so much stronger than Cameron ever was, Kurt." Jeff sighed softly, and opened the door to his car. Before getting in, he smiled once more at Kurt, who still stood beside his open passenger side door. "Your husband is incredibly lucky, Kurt." Jeff whispered, and Kurt blushed fiercely. Of course Jeff had noticed the ring on Kurt's finger, Kurt never took it off! What had he been thinking?

Before Jeff drove off, he called back to Kurt, his voice nearly carried away with the breeze. "You should bring him next week, if he's free. I'd love to meet the man who captured your heart, Kurt!" And with that, Jeff was gone.

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><p>"And then he said you were free to come with me next Wednesday, if you're free!" Kurt's voice was bubbly and excited, as he related the day's events to Blaine later that evening. They had been in bed for almost half an hour now, Blaine working on his laptop, and Kurt reading his latest book club pick. Or at least, the book was lying on his lap. He hadn't had the opportunity to open it yet; he'd been too busy regaling Blaine with all of the details about the meeting.<p>

Blaine smiled softly at his husband, his heart overflowing at the excitement and joy on Kurt's face. He loved seeing Kurt happy, and if it made him happy by going to this meeting every week, then Blaine would be happy to join him. He might not be able to do it every week, but this week he would definitely be there.

"Of course, Kurt. I would love to go to this meeting you seem so keen on." Blaine closed his laptop, setting it on the night table beside the bed. Kurt slid his book onto his night table, and Blaine reached for Kurt, sliding his arms around his husband in a soothing caress. Kurt looked into Blaine's eyes, the warm hazel melting him, like always.

"I love you," Kurt whispered, his eyes shining with the love and affection that pulsed through him with every beat of his heart. Blaine looked back, searching Kurt's eyes for any sign of hesitation. He found none, and leaned forward, capturing Kurt's lips in a blistering kiss. It was all teeth and tongue, passion and romance, fire and ice. As Blaine sucked on Kurt's tongue, the other man moaned, his voice breathy and low, unlike how he normally spoke. Blaine retreated a short distance, Kurt's blue eyes opening questioningly, and returned the sentiment.

"I love you too."


	8. Chapter 8

**I'm sorry, you guys. My grandmother passed away this weekend, and it's made me think a lot about myself, and how I look a the world. I've been a bit depressed, especially as everyone here is trying to get over their own grief, and not really supporting anyone else. I still have yet to cry, and although I know it's coming, it hasn't yet. **

**So I wrote about death. I didn't plan for this to happen. But the culmination of the experiences in my life drives me to write, and it always will. This is angsty, and I'm sorry for that. I've tried to make it a bit less upsetting for you guys. I love you all. You have no idea how much. Thanks once more to GleekMom, and to my friends on Twitter. Thanks to Curt Mega for being an inspiration, as well as Grant Gust and Damien McGuinty just for being. Also, of course, thanks to Chris Colfer and Darren Criss for becoming Klaine and making this story come to life. Without you guys there would be no story. **

**I own nothing. **

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><p>Blaine's heart leapt into his throat. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't see, he couldn't hear. He clutched the phone in his hand as his mind wandered around and around, searching for something, anything, stable to hold on to.<p>

He could feel Kurt's arms around him, and knew Kurt was shouting something in his ears, but for the life of him, he couldn't focus on what Kurt was trying to tell him. He could feel the girls around him too, touching him, worrying about him, but he didn't have the presence of mind to comfort them, let them know that he would be okay.

His parents were dead.

The lawyer was still on the phone, which Kurt had now pried from Blaine's hand, speaking rapidly in a language that Blaine couldn't decipher. He could have been speaking English, French, or Portuguese for all Blaine knew. His mind was chaotic, his breathing rough and ragged, and the small spots in front of his eyes reminded him that breathing included both in _and_ out breaths.

His parents were dead.

They had been travelling to Columbus to have Thanksgiving with him and Kurt. And the girls, of course. They had been side swiped by a tractor-trailer, the driver intoxicated from the Thanksgiving party he had been attending. He had managed to call 911 before slipping back into the drivers' seat of the semi, and had driven his rig over the edge of the cliff they had collided on. His parents had been dead by the time the car had stopped moving. There had been no hope.

His parents were dead.

Blaine took a rattled breath, feeling the oxygen slide into his lungs, as his eyes pricked with unshed tears. Kurt had hung up the phone, and told the girls what had happened. Kurt and the girls were now all huddled on the couch, tears streaming down their faces as they came to grips with the fact that their grandparents were gone.

"Dad?" Jessica's questioning voice was the one thing that penetrated the fog that had taken over Blaine's mind, and he turned, his bleary eyes focusing on his youngest daughter.

"Yeah, Jess?" he asked, his mind numb and his heart sick, as tiny tremors ran up and down his limbs. A tear escaped his eye, slipping past his eyelashes and down his stubbled cheek, but he paid it no mind, as he focused on his child.

"Did it hurt?" Jess asked softly, her breath catching in her throat as she contemplated the pain her grandparents would have been in. Blaine's eyes widened in shock, and another tear slid down his cheek. He looked at Kurt, whose face was so tear-streaked Blaine felt his heart wrench just looking at him.

"No, Jess," he responded, standing and making his way over to the girls and Kurt. He sat down beside them, feeling Kurt turn towards him, and cuddle the other man close into his side; he needed this, so much. "I don't think they felt it at all. I think it was so fast, that it was like a candle being blown out." Jessica nodded her head, her eyelashes fanning out over her cheeks, as another tear slipped down her face. Blaine reached forward to her, and suddenly they were one big mass of Hummel-Andersons. Everyone's arms were around each other, kisses were placed on foreheads, cheeks, and hands, and in the case of Kurt and Blaine, chastely on lips.

Blaine's heart contorted in his chest as he let his girls go, after a few minutes of simply huddling together. He and his father had never had the greatest relationship, that was true; but he had never wanted him dead. He had actually expected to see his parents at the weddings of all three of his daughters, once they were old enough to get married. Now, it would never happen.

Kurt wiped his face with his sleeve; Blaine started, because Kurt had _never_ done that before, he'd always stated that clothes were _not_ meant to be used as handkerchiefs. At that, Blaine giggled a little. Even through his tears, and his grief, Kurt could still make him smile, and he loved the man more than ever. Blaine reached over and caressed Kurt's cheek, before silently sliding forward and placing a tender kiss to Kurt's mouth.

"Ewww, gross Blaine," Kurt giggled, as he wiped his nose once more on his sleeve. "I mean, I'm _dripping_ here!" Blaine chuckled, and Penny started to giggle too, in spite of her tears. Katherine just shook her head and smiled, and Jessica reached over to the table, handing her father a box of Kleenex.

"Thanks sweetheart," Kurt murmured, blowing his nose in the tissue and wiping away the last of his tears.

"Welcome, Daddy," she whispered back, and snuggled close into his side, her eyes taking on the glazed look of someone who was remembering old times. Kurt slid his arms around her and pulled her close, while Penny slid between the two men, cuddling into the warmth, and Katherine snuggled into Blaine's other side. They simply sat there for a good long while, the silence occasionally broken by a sniffle or a sigh.

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><p>"Hey Sparky!" Penny rolled her eyes as he looked over towards Coach Sylvester. Coach had taken to calling her Sparky after she had been caught smoking twice; she seemed to think it was hilarious.<p>

"Yes, Coach?" Penny called back, her thighs trembling as she fought to maintain the stance she was currently using. She was working on a particularly difficult routine alone after school, trying to take her mind off of the fact that her grandparents were gone. Cheerleading had always helped her focus, and since she had had a boatload of trouble concentrating in class today, she had decided she needed something to calm her nerves. But Coach Sylvester interrupting her workout hadn't been part of the plan.

Sue strode over to the girl, taking in her stance, and critically evaluating it. Not bad, she thought to herself, but a little off. She kicked out her shoe, intending to push Penny's foot in the right spot, but over calculated, and the girl ended up falling over. Oh well.

"Damnit Coach!" Penny spit out as she fought her way back to a standing position. Sue's eyes crept up on her forehead; oh yes, this one had spunk. Of course, Penny couldn't be anything _but_ spunky, being Kurt's daughter. Her Porcelain had been one of the very best Cheerios ever, and she missed him terribly.

"What?" Sue spat out, her eyebrows creasing into her usual frown. "You were holding it wrong. If you want to continue being on _my_ cheerleading squad, you better learn your stances, or you won't be on it for very long!" Penny's face colored, and tears sprang to her eyes as she once again lost focus and began dwelling on her grandparents' deaths. She choked back a sob, turned on her iPod, and stuck the buds in her ears. Maybe she could get it if she could block out the distractions around her. As a tear slid down her cheek, she slipped back into the familiar routine, not even caring that Coach was standing right there while Penny ignored her.

Sue watched the girl perform the difficult moves, all too aware that her grandparents had passed away yesterday. She had been asked by the principal, a weak-minded idiot whose only contribution to the school was her underwhelming wit, a penchant for using too much starch in her clothes, and a slight talent for charming parents, to watch over the sisters. She had caught Katherine earlier. "Legs" had been in the locker room toilets, puking her guts out after lunch. Sue had been worried about her, so she had called Porcelain to come talk to his eldest. Katherine had been pulled out of class almost right afterward.

Now here was Penny, doing her level best to keep it together, and Sue was suitably impressed. Even with the tears streaming down her face, Penny managed to correct the stand she had screwed up earlier, and performed the entire routine flawlessly. Sue had no complaints about it, which was saying something because she could normally find _something_ to fault.

Sue's hands went to her hips, and she watched the girl go through the entire performance, not once, not twice, but three times, perfectly. As Penny stood in her final stance, Sue clapped. Just once, just to let her protégé know she had performed to Sue Sylvester standards. Penny spun around, having forgotten Coach was still there. Her face crumpled as she looked into Sue's eyes, and her body crumpled around her. Sue caught the girl as she slid to the ground, her arms wrapping around her. Sue didn't utter any stupid sympathies. She remained quiet, allowing the girl to vent her upset and frustration without a single comment.

For Penny, it was exactly what she needed.

"I don't know why I'm crying, Coach," Penny whispered softly after about fifteen minutes. "I never really got a chance to _know_ my grandparents. They said some nasty things to Dad and Daddy when we were little, and Dad had only begun mending things between them." Sue felt her heart melt a little as she held the sobbing teen.

"I know why," Sue said confidently. "You're crying because if they had seen your atrocious stances earlier…" Penny hiccuped, then giggled.

"_Coach,_" Penny's voice wavered, her eyes looking up into Sue's, and Sue felt her heart melting a bit more. "You know my performance was flawless. I did it three times. You clapped, remember?" Sue smirked, nodding down at the girl. "I think… I think I'm upset that there wasn't time to get to know them…" Penny's eyes shone with more tears. Sue harrumphed; any more tears and they might as well close this place down and use it for AA meetings.

"Well, crying isn't gonna bring them back. You know what I did when my sister died?" Penny looked up, her face taking in the suddenly soft look on Sue's face. This was a personal moment for Sue, Penny could tell. She stayed quiet until Sue began talking again.

"I didn't do anything. She was my life. But I did nothing for her when she passed. Actually, and you'll be interested to know this, Sparky," Sue smirked down at Penny, retracting her arms from around the teen, and wrapping them around her own long legs. Damn, her track pants were going to have grass stains; where was that damn Ben Israel kid when you needed him?

"Porcelain and Frankenteen fixed up my sisters funeral. And do you know what? They did a pretty good job. Made sure everything was the way she would have wanted." Sue took on a faraway look, reminiscing. Penny watched her Coach, realizing that she meant her Daddy and her Uncle Finn.

"I never did tell them thanks for that. I probably should, someday. When I'm dying, I think." Coach Sylvester shook her head, her mostly white hair flipping around in the wind. "Yeah. That will be my present to them when I die." Sue looked back at Penny, her eyes glazed over with unshed tears.

"You need to get out of here, Sparky. Your Dads want you home in time for dinner." Sue raised her eyebrow as Penny got up, offering her coach a hand up. Sue accepted ungratefully; this getting old thing sucked. As she hauled herself to her feet, she looked Penny up and down.

"You need a ride home, kid?" Sue asked, and Penny's eyes flew open, realizing her sister had taken the car home and left her there.

"Uh. Yeah. Please," Penny's cheeks flamed red; oh god, she was going to get in so much trouble for not telling her fathers where she had been!

"Well, come on," Sue called, striding away from where the cheerleader was packing up her iPod and the rest of her gear. Penny would shower at home, it was worth it to get a ride home. Sue unlocked her car door, and motioned to Penny to get in as well.

"Don't stink up my Le Car with your teen spirit stench," Sue commented gruffly, and pulled out into traffic. Penny was silent for the entire ride home.

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><p>When they pulled into the driveway, Penny shot Coach Sylvester a quick "Thanks," and darted into the house. Sue sat there, wondering if she should go and say hello to her favorite Cheerio.<p>

Just as she decided not to, and began pulling away, Kurt emerged from the house, waving her down. She pulled back over and sighed. Here came another battle with her Porcelain. She both loved and hated these confrontations with him. He was always witty, smart, and delightful, giving just as well as he got, and she missed being able to do this with him on a regular basis. And at the same time, she hated doing it, knowing that the things she said to him were mean-spirited, nasty and all around evil. But they had been doing it for so long that she didn't really know how to tell him that it was the best and worst part of their relationship. She stepped from the car, ready to do battle.

"Hello Porcelain," Sue smirked, her game face on and better than ever. She looked him up and down, taking in the rumpled clothes and tear tracks staining his cheeks. Her face fell as she realized he wasn't in the mood for their usual back and forth fight. Kurt let out a frustrated sound, ripping his fingers through his messy hair.

"Thanks," Kurt stated bluntly, his eyes shifting around as he seemed to have trouble focusing on anything in particular. Sue's eyes narrowed as she took in the disheveled appearance, the hair that was usually never out of place, the dark rings under his eyes.

"Thanks for bringing Penny home. I…" Kurt's hands twisted together, his eyes sliding back to the house, his voice shaking.

"When she didn't come home with Katherine, I thought… Oh God," Sue shook her head and pulled her Porcelain into a rough hug. He wrapped his arms around her, and they stood together, him shaking and her simply holding him. Sue couldn't believe this family. Twice in the same day they had managed to cry on her. She was going to need a whole new tracksuit. She'd make Porcelain pay for it, of course.

"She's fine," Sue mumbled after a while. Kurt pulled back, slightly aghast at the state he had left Sue's tracksuit.

"Oh God, Sue, I'm sorry!" Kurt was mortified. He tugged on Sue's hand, practically dragging her into his house, and leading her into his bedroom.

"I'm not sure if I should be flattered or disgusted, Porcelain," Sue murmured as she took in the surroundings. The bedroom seemed much less flamboyant than how Kurt would have done it up in; She figured his husband must have decorated in here.

"I just wanted to give you something else to wear for the ride back home," Kurt's face flushed as he attempted to be nice to Sue. "Here," Kurt pulled a sweater from his drawer, the front had "McKinley" written on it.

"No, uh uh, I'd rather be dead." Sue flung the sweater back at Kurt, the disgust written all over her face after seeing the sweater.

"I assure you, Coach, it's clean. I haven't worn it in years," Kurt protested, his ears and cheeks flaming that his former Coach would be so ridiculous.

"It's not the cleanliness that I find offensive, Porcelain, it's the name," Sue assured him, and she wandered around his room as he looked for another sweater for her to wear. He pulled one out and she took it without a word. She pulled off her track suit sweater; thankfully she had a tee shirt on underneath. As she pulled on the new sweater, Kurt wandered from the room. He made his way back to the living room, where Blaine was finishing up giving Penny a lecture. The girl was in tears, of course, but this time Kurt could tell that Penny really did mean that she was sorry. The slump of her body, the bow of her head, the wringing of her hands; all of this told Kurt louder than words how his daughter felt.

As Blaine wound down, Kurt went into the kitchen to begin preparing dinner. He chopped a few extra vegetables, and prepared an extra plate, and together, he and Blaine invited Sue to stay for dinner.

"Sue, would you be willing to lower yourself to our level and have dinner with us?" Blaine asked as Sue returned to the main living room. She took in his appearance, looking as rough as Kurt had earlier, and raised her eyebrow.

"Uh, Dad? Do you think that's a good idea?" Jessica asked quietly, her eyes roaming over the woman in front of them.

"Oh, come on Jess. She's not as bad as she seems," Penny defended her coach, and Kurt nodded wisely.

"Coach Sylvester has done a lot for this family," Kurt added. "The least we can do is invite her for dinner."

"I'd be happy to, Porcelain." Sue smiled, her eyes over bright at the scene before her.

"Oh good," Kurt replied. "We're having roast turkey, with all the trimmings."

"Unless you're having that." Kurt blinked at her. "Sorry Porcelain, I don't do turkey. Actually, I don't do much except diet shakes. Oh well." Sue walked briskly to the front door, looking back over her shoulder at the stunned family behind her.

"Oh, don't look so surprised." She shook her head at her Porcelain. "You should know me better than that, Porcelain. I don't _do_ family dinners. I much prefer being alone in my little apartment." Jessica looked over at Sue, her head cocked slightly to the side as she thought.

"But it's Thanksgiving," Jessica offered, holding her hand out to make the woman stay.

"Yeah, but all my family is gone," Sue's voice went low, as she was reminded of the fact that she was now and forever alone.

"So stay with us," Katherine appealed. Kurt stepped forward, extending his hand in a gesture of friendship.

"We'd be pleased to have you, Sue. I always make more than we need; especially at this time of the year. Please stay." Kurt begged, asking with his eyes that she stay.

"Ah, Porcelain. I always knew you would come begging to me. I suppose I can deign to stay with you this evening. But I'm not going home and changing, just so you know." Kurt clasped her hand, pulling her to him in a quick hug.

"I wouldn't make you go home to change anyway, Sue." Kurt laughed, releasing the woman.

They all sat down together, as Kurt brought the turkey to the table. Blaine handed Sue the carving knife, all of them wondering if handing her a sharp instrument was a good idea. As she carved the turkey, they all shared what they were thankful for.

They may have lost Blaine's parents, they may have gained Sue for the night, but they were together, and that was how it was supposed to be.

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><p><strong>Questions? Comments? Random emotional outbursts? <strong>


	9. Chapter 9

**This is the aftermath of Blaine's parents passing away. I wrote the funeral nice and short, because honestly? I've never been to a funeral. Everytime someone dies in my family** **I never seem to be able to go to the funeral. Take my grandmother's passing: the funeral is tomorrow and I have to work. I could call in, but it is the first day starting a new part of my work, and I should be there in order to make sure everything works properly. Guh. At least I passed my test, as those of you who follow GleekMom know all too well! ((Thanks again, GleekMom, for the shout out in your A/N!)) And if you aren't following? You're missing out! Way Out and Running Away are amazing! I love her work!**

**There are so many people I wish I could thank that are out there in the wide world of the interwebz. I hope you know who you are, because I shout I love you all from the tops of every roof I can find! XD**

**I don't own it. If I did, well the world might just be a better place to live in, I think! ;D**

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><p>The funeral was small. Kurt and Blaine brought the girls, the priest from the church his parents had attended were there, and a few of the parishioners. As Blaine's parents had been somewhat reclusive, there were few people who mourned them.<p>

As they stood around the pair of coffins by the graveside, Blaine felt a calm hand clasp his shoulder. He turned to see Wes, David, Thad, Jeff and Nick standing beside him. Kurt turned and saw Blaine's friends as well, and he smiled softly at the newcomers.

When the priest began the service, Kurt entwined his fingers with Blaine's. Blaine looked over at him, tears beginning to well up in his eyes as he fought to keep his composure in front of their children.

Katherine had certainly dressed for the occasion. Kurt believed she must have taken a page from Rachel Berry's book, as she was dressed in a calf-length black wraparound dress, her long coat blowing gently in the breeze, with a black hat that looked like something straight out of the sixties. In fact, as she stood there, he was reminded of a very young Audrey Hepburn.

Penny was dressed in a deep navy blouse with a dark grey mid-thigh skirt. Her soft auburn hair was pulled back in a soft chignon at the nape of her neck, a few wisps of curls slipping from the knot. Her green eyes were wet, and her shoulders shook gently as she leaned into her Uncle Wes' side. His arm slid around her shoulder, cuddling her gently.

Jessica's blue eyes were wet as well; her honey blond hair sliding around in the calm breeze that floated through the cemetery. Her silent tears dripped from her nose, her grief so apparent that she didn't even notice them. Kurt slid a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her. He noticed a couple of drops on her black turtleneck, paired with a pair of black dress pants, but ignored them. Jess had never been one to be into fashion as much as her sisters, and Kurt was fine with that. Her eyes looked at the handkerchief in surprise, then sent him a grateful smile.

"Thanks, Daddy," she whispered, trying not to disturb the priest as he continued his mindless droning. He smiled down at her, sending his love through his eyes as he wrapped his other arm around his girl.

Finally the priest was finished; Kurt sighed inwardly. No matter how many times he heard a sermon, he would always wonder exactly how these people believed in an almighty and powerful God. He shook his head, causing Blaine to look over at him with tears streaming down his face. _Oh_, Kurt thought guiltily. _I've been thinking about me, when Blaine clearly is hurting. I'm so sorry, babe._

"I'm so sorry, Blaine," Kurt said, releasing Jessica in order to envelope Blaine in a full out hug. As Blaine squeezed back, Kurt couldn't help but feel as though this was the best feeling in the world. Not the sadness, he would never wish that on anyone. No, it was the feeling of being needed, loved. That was something he had been missing the last few years. Oh, he had been loved, surely. But the feeling of being needed was amazing. Blaine still needed him, and he was going to be there for Blaine for as long as he needed him.

As Kurt comforted Blaine, Wes gathered up the rest of the little family, leaving the other parishioners to disperse together. He pulled everyone there in for a hug, and they all just stood there for a few minutes, holding one another. Blaine and the girls wept, Kurt shed a single tear for his husband, and the Warblers just looked sad.

A soft humming could be heard under the sounds of sobbing, and Kurt looked around to identify the source. He was surprised to hear it coming from Penny. What startled him more was when she opened her mouth and began to sing in clear, pure tones.

_Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,  
>That saved a wretch like me...<br>I once was lost but now am found,  
>Was blind, but now, I see.<br>_

At the second chorus, Katherine joined in, her clear soprano lilting above her sister's alto tones.

_T'was Grace that taught...  
>my heart to fear.<br>And Grace, my fears relieved.  
>How precious did that Grace appear...<br>the hour I first believed._

On the third chorus, Jessica joined in, alto like Penny, but rather than fighting her for the lead, she adjusted her tones to harmonize with her sister. 

_Through many dangers, toils and snares..._  
><em>we have already come.<em>  
><em>T'was Grace that brought us safe thus far...<em>  
><em>and Grace will lead us home.<em>

_The Lord has promised good to me...  
>His word my hope secures.<br>He will my shield and portion be...  
>as long as life endures.<em>

_Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,_  
><em>and mortal life shall cease,<em>  
><em>I shall possess within the veil,<em>  
><em>a life of joy and peace.<em>

_When we've been here ten thousand years..._  
><em>bright shining as the sun.<em>  
><em>We've no less days to sing God's praise...<em>  
><em>then when we've first begun.<em>

On the final chorus, the six adult men joined in, their voices blending in to make a harmony that only the purest grief could convey. 

_Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,_  
><em>That saved a wretch like me...<em>  
><em>I once was lost but now am found,<em>  
><em>Was blind, but now, I see.<em>

A wizened old man, the caretaker of the cemetery, was partially hidden behind a tree, waiting for everyone to leave so he could fulfil his obligations and lay to rest the newest residents. He was moved to tears by the impromptu performance, wondering who these new guests were that had such a loving family. He wiped away his tears as the small group left the grounds.

* * *

><p>Once they got back to the house, Kurt took off to his room to change, and each of the girls did the same. Blaine retired to the backyard with the Warblers, in order to talk a bit before dinner. Wes was taking them out to the River Club at Confluence Park a little later that afternoon.<p>

"I'm so happy you guys came to be here with us today," Blaine mumbled, his voice thick with the emotion he still tried to hold inside. Jeff and Nick looked at each other, confusion in their eyes; they silently wondered where else they would be when Blaine needed them. Wes smiled, and David clasped Blaine in a comforting hug, Blaine returning the squeeze roughly.

"We knew you'd need us, my friend," Jeff said softly, nodding together with Nick and David.

"We've known you for a very long time, Blaine." Wes agreed. "We've seen you through good times and bad, and we were always there for you, just like you were there for us. Remember Angelica?" David winced as he was reminded of his first wife. "And what about Max and Sally?" Jeff nodded fervently as he was reminded of the day his parents had gotten a divorce, back in high school. They had stayed up all night, playing video games, letting Jeff take out his frustration and anger in the pure violence of a first person shooter game.

Blaine turned his watery eyes to each of his friends in turn, conveying his gratitude through his emotions.

"I love you guys. I hope you know that." Blaine offered, his voice so low the guys had to strain to hear him. "I don't know where I would be without you. When my parents refused to be associated with me, back then; it was you I turned to for comfort and support. And you've never let me down, not once, since then." The tears began streaming again, and David moved in for another hug. Jeff and Nick were right behind him, and the little group huddled there together until Kurt made his appearance.

"Are you all ready to go?" Kurt asked solicitously, his arms finding their way around Blaine's middle, which was the only part of him that wasn't wrapped up in the arms of the others.

"Yeah, I think so," Blaine murmured, his dark teary hazel eyes meeting Kurt's sad blue ones. "Call the girls down? Please?" Kurt's heart shattered as he heard the broken tone in Blaine's voice.

"Blaine?" Blaine looked at Kurt, his eyes not quite meeting Kurt's. "You don't have to go, you know. We can stay in, and just… relax. You know?" Blaine took a shaky breath, attempting to steady himself.

"No, no. I'm all right. Let's go and have some fun. After all, it's not every day that Wes treats us to high society living, huh?" Blaine let loose with a watery giggle, causing the others to chuckle softly.

"Well, then, if we are going, we should leave now. The reservations are for five," Wes commented, watching Jeff bouncing on the balls of his toes, his dancing feet wanting to move as always.

"I'll get the girls," Jeff grimaced, and his feet stopped bouncing. "Oh, yeah. Sad. Right… sorry," he apologised to Kurt and Blaine, who both burst out laughing at Jeff's antics. "What?"

"Jeff, you are by far the best person in the whole world to make us laugh!" Blaine giggled through his tears, causing a wide grin to appear on Jeff's face. They gathered the girls and made their way out the door to the limo.

* * *

><p>Later that night, after the Warblers had gone home, and the girls had been sent to bed, Blaine sat Kurt down to tell him a few things. Including the fact that they were now wealthy.<p>

Kurt sat on the edge of the couch, stunned. When Blaine had told him that his parents had been wealthy, Kurt had figured maybe a new house, possibly a new car. When Blaine had shown him the actual figures though, Kurt had nearly had a heart attack from shock.

Four hundred and seventy two million dollars. Plus six houses, seventeen cars, two backwater cottages, and an entire lake. A _lake_, for crying out loud. Who owned a lake?

Kurt blinked, raising his eyes to Blaine, who smiled somewhat sheepishly back at him. He shrugged his shoulders self-consciously, and moved around the coffee table to sit beside his husband.

"Are you… mad?" Blaine asked anxiously, his nervous eyes roaming all over Kurt's face for signs of outrage. "I know I didn't tell you about all this… I'm sorry for that. I figured since I wasn't going to see a penny of it for a long time, there wasn't any need to tell you." Kurt blinked again, and looked once more at the figures listed on the paper clutched in his hand. Blaine slid a panicked arm around Kurt, hugging him closer, hoping to God he hadn't ruined their relationship.

"Blaine. Relax," Kurt mumbled, his eyes sliding up to look into Blaine's warm hazel ones. "I'm shocked, yes. I'm not mad. I didn't…" He gestured to the paper in his hand. "I never expected them to leave all this to us." Blaine chuckled softly.

"Honestly? I don't think they had anyone else to leave it to. Dad's brother died a number of years ago, and he had no children. Mom's family never spoke to her after she married my father, so really, I was the only option." Blaine finished, slightly bitterly. Kurt sighed softly, snuggling closer to Blaine.

"Blaine?" Kurt asked softly, his eyes looking toward the floor in worry. Blaine turned to him in confusion. Wasn't _he_ supposed to be the one worried about Kurt's reaction? What did Kurt have to be worried about?

"Yeah, Love?" Blaine replied, his heart in his throat as he stared at the man he loved.

"Does this mean we can buy that gorgeous outfit I saw on ?" Kurt grasped his lip between his teeth in a gesture of nervousness that Blaine hadn't seen since the girls were little. Kurt was afraid Blaine was going to judge him. Blaine let out an undignified snort, and burst into hysterical giggles. Kurt looked at Blaine in surprise.

"Sweetheart, with this much money, we can buy whatever your heart desires!" The grin that spread over Kurt's face lit him up like the sun. Blaine grinned, deliriously happy that Kurt wasn't mad at him for withholding the information. As they sat there grinning at each other, a thought dawned on Kurt.

"Oh my God," Kurt stated, his face going pale with the thought running through his mind. Blaine dropped his smile, his hand reaching out unconsciously to thumb at the back of Kurt's wrist like he always did when Kurt was anxious.

"What?" Blaine asked, his heart pounding gently as he prayed that Kurt's problem would be fixable.

"Having this much money means we'll be able to spoil the girls, Blaine." Kurt's voice lowered, his eyes surreptitiously glancing over at the hallway to check if anyone was eavesdropping. "Do we really want to do that?" Blaine pulled his hand over his face as he thought.

"Well… Jessica is pretty down to earth. I don't think you could spoil her at all, no matter what you bought for her. But Penny and Katie? Yeah. I could definitely see them getting spoiled. The last thing we need is another Kardashian family on our hands." He stood up, pacing his way over to the bookshelves on the other side of the room. Turning, he caught Kurt's glance as they pondered what to do.

Neither of them heard the soft footsteps that retreated down the hallway, headed to her sister's room to divulge the very thing her father's were now debating on.

* * *

><p>"What do you mean, we're rich?" Katherine snapped, her fingers deep in the strands of Penny's hair, unconsciously twisting the strands until Penny gave a desperate yelp. "Dammit. Sorry, Penny."<p>

"I mean, Grams and Gramps left Dad and Daddy a whack load of money, and it's up to us to help them decide how to spend it!" Jessica's eyes were bright with anticipation. With the amount of money her dads were talking about, she could have herself a whole library full of books to read; in her bedroom, even! She drooled slightly as she thought about it.

"Wait," Penny whimpered as Katherine tugged at her hair again. "Have you been eavesdropping again, Jess? Because Dad _hates_ when you do that, and I don't want to get into trouble because you did something you weren't supposed to. I'm already in enough trouble as it is for the smoking thing." Penny finished, reaching up impatiently to her hair only to have her hand batted away by a very frustrated Katherine.

"Yeah, Jess. Besides, I don't think Grandpa Anderson would have left all that money to Dad. He's gay. _You_ know, Grandpa was against that forever! Even if they were talking the last little while, I don't think Grandpa would have wanted Dad to have his money. He would have left it to some long lost, _straight_ relative. It's the way he was." Katherine finished braiding Penny's hair, and pinned it securely to the top of her head.

"Well… well… what if Dad's not the only gay one?" Jess' face coloured as the admission slipped from her lips. Katherine and Penny just looked at her, their eyes becoming huge in the light from the lamps in the room.

"Are…. Are you gay, Jess?" Penny whispered, her eyes capturing the truth in Jessica's face, even as Jess shook her head in denial.

"No…" Jessica vehemently refused to let her sisters know. She knew they would take the mickey out of her if she admitted it. It was the same as admitting to guilt. "No! Of course not!" Shaking her head, she backed to the door, and quickly ran out.

Penny and Katherine simply stared at each other in shock. The sound of a door being slammed in the upper part of the house startled them even further; Jessica was always quiet, never making more than the bare minimum of noises. Seconds later, Kurt opened the door to Katherine's room abruptly, his scowl scaring both girls.

"What did you _do_ to her?" He asked, his face a mask of confusion and ferocity. Penny and Katherine simply shook their heads. "She just stormed past your father and me, headed to her room, and she _slammed _the door! That can't mean nothing!" Penny and Katherine looked at each other, their eyes still huge as they processed the information they had just gotten from their sister.

"Uh, Daddy?" Katherine managed to find her voice, although it was small, and he had to strain to hear her. "I think maybe you might want to talk to Jess about it yourself. I think…" And here Katherine looked back a Penny, who nodded. "I think she needs to talk to you. Like, really needs it." Penny continued nodding in the background, as Kurt looked back and forth between them.

"All right. But if I find out you guys have done anything to upset her like this, I'll be very upset with you." And with that, he left to go find Blaine, who had gone after Jessica.

"Do you think Dad and Daddy would not buy us anything because we kept Jess' secret?" Penny asked Katherine softly, her big green eyes sparkling with unshed tears at the thought of outing her sister. Katherine reached forward, wrapping her arms around her sister tightly.

"No, Penny. I think they'd be proud of us for sticking up for her. Besides, with a secret that big, I wouldn't tell for anything. Not diamonds, not pearls, not anything." Penny wrapped her arms around her sister as well, and they hugged each other tightly. "I'm glad Jess knows what she wants. To be honest, I've been so confused lately about boys, girls and everything else that I couldn't tell you what I want for dinner half the time. I'm really glad Daddy does all the cooking." Penny giggled gently.

"Me too," she replied. "Me too."

* * *

><p><strong>So. I never meant for Jess to come out this fast in the chapters. But this is the way she wanted me to write it, and so I only do what I'm told. She may be quiet, but she's stronger than she looks; gets that from Kurt, I'd suspect. Now her sisters know, and you can bet her Dads are going to learn about it fairly quickly. <strong>

**And what do you guys think Kurt and Blaine should do with the money? Read and review, and let me know, okay? XD Love you all!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Well, hello again, all my lovely readers! Pull up a chair, sit yourself down right here beside me, and we'll read this chapter together, okay? **

**Everyone who follows Dominick Barnes on Twitter, or Facebook, needs to go wish him well! He got out of surgery this morning, he had his appendix removed! So everyone needs to go wish him well, and hope he feels better! Love you, DOM! Eat LOTS of popsicles and ice cream! XD**

**I don't own Glee, I don't own much right now, but I own my mind, and these thoughts are my own. **

* * *

><p>Blaine's heart nearly broke in two as he heard the desperate sobbing coming from the other side of Jessica's door. Kurt had dashed to check on Penny and Katherine, and Blaine had automatically followed his youngest daughter up the stairs. Knocking softly, he heard a quiet "Go 'way," and shook his head gently.<p>

"Jess. Honey, you… seem upset," he called, blinking his eyes at the stupidity of that statement. Of course she seemed upset. He mentally facepalmed himself. "I mean, you shot past me and Daddy so fast, and you're crying now; babe, can I just come in? Please?" He heard a quiet mumble, which he interpreted as acquiescence, and turned the handle of the door. He stopped just inside the room, taking note of the books that had fallen off the shelf and the small snowglobe that was lying on the floor. It had fallen there from the bedside table when Jessica had dashed past on her way to the bed. Picking it up gently, he gave it a twirl, allowing the fake snow to cover the Eiffel Tower. He replaced it gently on her night table, and sat gingerly on her bed.

"Sweetheart?" Blaine reached out a quiet hand, resting it lightly on Jessica's back, not moving it much in fear that she would reject his ministrations. He needn't have feared. Jessica felt his hand on her back and she leapt up, her arms sliding around her father as she climbed into his lap.

"Oh, Dad!" Jessica wailed, her tears soaking his shirt in a matter of seconds. Blaine murmured soft platitudes at her, his callused hands winding their way through her hair as he stroked her head, giving as much comfort as he could to this girl who, even sitting, was taller than he was. He waited a few minutes for her sobbing to die down a bit. Once she was calmer, he pulled back a little, his hazel eyes finding her wet blue ones in worry.

"Will you tell me what's wrong?" he asked gently, his hand rubbing small circles soothingly into her back. She sniffled, tucking her head under his chin, and sighed loudly.

"Dad, why does everything have to be so complicated?" she asked plaintively. Blaine considered this question for a moment.

"Without really knowing what this is about, it's hard to say. But I think that everything is complicated because we have to be sure that whatever decision we are trying to make is the right one. If the decision were easy to make, then everyone would have made it already. But if it's harder, then the people who really, _really_ want something, are able to make the decision, and are usually happy with what they've chosen. Does that make any sense at all?" Blaine asked, concerned as he watched the confusion flit over Jessica's young face.

"I… I think so," Jessica answered, her face screwing up concentration. "So, if I choose something for myself, and I know it's the right answer, I'll never have to doubt it?" she asked again, and Blaine felt his heart breaking all over again. She looked so small, so vulnerable, and he hated that she felt like this at all.

"That depends on what you choose, sweetheart," Kurt's voice floated in from the doorway, and both Blaine and Jessica turned to look. "You wanna tell us what's going on, please? We're worried," Kurt added, and Jessica's eyes got wide.

"I… I didn't realise you were w-worried about me!" Jessica hiccuped. Her attention wavered between her fathers. "I… I just…" Another tear slid down her cheek, and Kurt walked to her side, sitting next to her on the bed.

"Jess, we want to help. We would _love_ to be able to help you, but without knowing the whole story," Kurt continued.

"I-I'm gay!" Jessica blurted out, burying her head back into her father's neck. Blaine looked in shock at Kurt, whose wide eyes betrayed his surprise as well. Tightening his arms around Jess, Blaine comforted the crying girl the best he could, while trying to think of a response. Kurt, however, had no need to ponder the information.

"What's wrong with that?" Kurt asked, his hand slipping over to rest on Jessica's back as well. "Are you… I mean, are you ashamed of me and your Dad?" Kurt asked sombrely. Blaine's heart leapt to his throat; he hadn't thought of that. He pulled away gently from his daughter, looking in her eyes for an answer.

"What? No!" Jessica pulled back even further, nearly landing on the floor before Blaine caught her. "No, I'm not ashamed of you guys! I would never…" Jessica shook her head vehemently, standing up as she began pacing back and forth across the room.

"You both have never been anything but the best parents ever!" She staunchly declared, her pacing making Blaine dizzy, but he grinned widely at that statement. "I _love_ you both! So much!" Jessica's hand swept through her honey blond hair, and Kurt made a mental note that it was, yet again, time for a trim.

"I just… I'm so confused. About everything!" Jessica's voice broke, and Kurt made to get up from the bed to comfort her. Blaine placed a hand on Kurt's arm, shaking his head softly, begging him silently to stay where he was. Jessica needed to talk this out; it was the only way she would be able to come to terms with what she was feeling. The most they could do for her was love and support her, no matter what decision she made.

"My friend, Marisa… She was talking to me in the hallway during second period…" Kurt looked over at Blaine; Marisa had been over to their house a couple of times for sleepovers. Had something happened? No, Kurt felt that Jess would most likely have told them; he shook his head minutely, and turned his attention back to the girl.

"She told me… she told me I was beautiful. I had butterflies, Dad! _Butterflies_!" Jessica continued pacing, and the men watched in silence.

"She's really pretty too, and I looked at her… I mean _really looked_; and Daddy, I _love_ her!" Jessica's voice broke again, the tears standing out in her eyes. "So I told her, and she just looked at me funny! She said I was weird, and went off to talk to Grace Peterson. They kept watching me the whole day!" Jessica's hand flung out from her body to show her annoyance, and nearly took the top of Blaine's head off.

"Oops, sorry, Dad," Her voice took on a tinge of hysteria, and she paced ever faster. "So now, the whole school knows I love Marisa, and Marisa hates me, and everyone hates me, and no one even talks to me anymore, except when they have to, and I spend more and more time in the library, because books don't hate, and I don't want my whole school career to be all by myself!" With a final wail, she flung herself on Kurt, who had the presence of mind to catch her and tuck her long-limbed body in close to his. Both men had tears in their eyes; both knew what it was like to love somebody without being loved in return.

"Don't hold it in, Jess," A mildly snarky voice came from the doorway, and Katherine peeked her head in, closely followed by Penny. "I think there were some neighbours down the block who didn't hear you!" Kurt scowled at Katherine, but rather than being even more upset, Jessica simply giggled; it was wet, and consisted of a sniffle or two, but it was definitely a giggle. Kurt raised his eyebrow at Blaine, who shrugged in return.

"Yeah, Jess. Do us all a favour, and wail louder, will ya? Maybe we can drown out the cat from three doors down," Penny added, smiling at Katherine as Jessica giggled even more. The two elder girls grinned hugely as the two adult men looked on in confusion and disbelief. Jessica looked up from Blaine's sopping wet shoulder, and saw her sisters smiling at her. She stood shakily, and the three enveloped each other in a huge hug.

"Love you, Crazy," Penny offered Jessica, leaning her forehead against her sisters shoulder.

"Love you too, Nutjob," Jess murmured back, her head leaning down onto Penny's, her arms reaching around the back of Katherine.

"Love you both, you weirdos," Katherine muttered, rolling her eyes in gentle affection. Kurt and Blaine stood up, and together wrapped their arms around the three girls, and they all just stood there for a moment, content in their love for each other.

"Now, I think this is something that all of us need to talk about," Kurt offered, earning himself a groan from Jessica. She shook her head.

"Can we just… drop it, please?" She muttered in a small voice, her face turning crimson as she ducked her head in shame. Katherine looked up at her younger sister, and shook her head softly. She moved away, followed by Penny, and sat down on Jessica's soft grey comforter.

"No, Jess." Katherine's eyes were still the same gorgeous hazel as her father's, but a hint of steel also ran through them, something Blaine had never been able to master. "You can't do this all by yourself. And it may not be easy, but you have to know; you aren't alone." Kurt shot Blaine an amazed glance. They were seeing a side of Katherine they hadn't seen in years; the leadership that had come out in childhood was beginning to reassert itself. Blaine smiled fondly at his husband.

"I know," Jess sniffed, her eyes beginning to water again. "But it's hard because you guys don't even go to the same school as I do. I wish…" She hung her head sadly, a tear dripping off the end of her nose as the others looked on. "…I wish I had a friend left there…"

Kurt looked at Blaine, his heart going out the ostracised girl, whose soft sobbing filled the room. He knew what it felt like to be shunned for being who you were, and so did Blaine.

Blaine stepped forward and laid a gentle hand on Jessica's shoulder, squeezing lightly.

"Guys, we have something to tell you. It's about your grandparents." Kurt looked over at Blaine, his eyes wide in astonishment. He thought they had decided not to tell the girls about the money?

"When I was younger," Blaine started. "I was bullied in school because of being small. I couldn't fight back. You guys know that, right?" He looked around at the girls, who each nodded their heads. "When your grandparents sent me to Dalton, I was over the moon. I decided that I was going to be a great addition to Dalton. I never knew I liked boys back then until I met someone. He was a friend of mine, and I discovered that I really, _really _liked him. It became my dirty little secret." Blaine paused, allowing the girls, and Kurt, some time for the implications to sink in.

"It was in my second year there, that I met him. He was charming, openly gay, and I thought I loved him. I really did." Blaine smiled wryly. "I… I told Stephen that I thought maybe I was gay. That I had never considered it, until I had met him. I told him that I found him adorable, and that if he was interested, I was willing to come out to all of my friends in order for us to be together." Blaine stopped, his heart wrenching as he remembered what happened next.

"Stephen was, well… nonplussed. He hadn't realised I was gay, for obvious reasons, I guess, and he told me he wasn't interested in me like that. He was happy to be friends, but wasn't looking for a relationship from me. I found out later that he had a boyfriend back home in Iowa, one to whom he was devotedly attached. I was dumbfounded, and terribly upset. Here I was, I had put my heart on the line for a guy who hadn't the slightest interest in me." He looked around at his girls, all of whom had by now taken seats on the bed, staring at him in wonder. He felt his heart swell with love for these precious girls, the only women he ever needed in his life. He looked at Kurt as well, who stood gazing at him with tears standing in his blue-green eyes. Blaine blinked slowly, standing and making his way to Kurt's side, sliding an arm around the other man as he hugged him tight.

"After my talk with Stephen, I took some time to do some serious thinking about myself, Jess." Blaine turned back to look at his daughters, focusing on his youngest. "I decided that I had been mistaken. I wasn't gay. I couldn't be. I was Blaine Everett Anderson, base-brat and dapper gentleman, for crying out loud. " All three girls giggled softly at this, and Kurt smiled lovingly at him. "So that weekend I told my closest friends. I told Uncles Wes, David, Jeff and Nick what I had almost done. I kind of dropped a bomb on them, actually." Blaine stepped away from Kurt, his hand reaching up to rub the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"That day I had come to the conclusion that I was going to let my friends know what had almost happened, and I had rushed through my shower, threw my clothes on haphazardly, and dashed to the lunchroom, where we hung out before class all the time. I sat down at the table, every eye looking at me." He blushed fiercely. "In a quiet voice, because I wasn't ready to say anything to anyone else yet, I told them. And Jeff simply reached over, flipped my collar down, and said 'Yes, but is that any reason not to look in a mirror before you come down? I mean, geez, Blaine!'" All the girls giggled, and Kurt burst out into a fit of laughter too. Blaine looked sheepishly around at his family, a wry grin gracing his lips.

"The point that I'm making here, Jess, is that if your friends care about something as trivial as you being gay, then maybe they weren't your true friends after all. Maybe it's time to make some new friends, ones who care about you for who you are, instead of what you are. Now, I can't tell you what you should and shouldn't do in this instance, because I'm not you, and as much as I hate to admit it, you are growing up so fast." Jessica blushed softly.

"No two people are the same, and everything I've experienced isn't going to be the same as what you experience. Even if we go through the same types of experience, you may think differently about the situation than I do. That's one of the joys of being different. Because if we were all the same, we'd all be boring. Could you imagine your Daddy being boring?" The girls giggled again, as Kurt put in his best 'Bitch, Please' face. Blaine smirked at him.

"It's up to you, Jess. Listen, Daddy and I weren't originally going to tell you guys this, but in light of this coming to the surface, I think it's best if we do. I'm sorry I didn't discuss it with you first, Kurt." He looked with pleading eyes at his husband, whose soft blue eyes shone only love back at him.

"It's okay, Blaine," Kurt murmured, placing his hand on his husbands shoulder.

"Your grandparents left us a sizeable amount of money." Blaine admitted, his hand rubbing behind his neck. "And some property. And a few cars. Uh… And a boat." Kurt blinked. He hadn't known about the boat. Katherine looked intrigued.

"You mean it's true?" She mumbled, then immediately clapped her hand over her mouth, looking guiltily at Jessica, who turned a bright shade of red. Blaine and Kurt glanced at each other, trying desperately to keep the Cheshire grins from taking over their faces.

"Been eavesdropping again, Jess?" Kurt asked, and the girl ducked her head so no one could see her eyes.

"Yes, it's true, and you and I are going to have another talk soon, Jess." Blaine's voice took on a hint of steel as he looked at his youngest in exasperation. "What _am_ I going to do with you?"

"You mean what are _we_ going to do with her," Kurt corrected archly, sliding his arm around Blaine's waist, looking down at the three girls sitting on the bed.

"Anyway, what I was saying was, that if you decide that you would rather just change schools, Jess, then that's okay. I would never want you to stay in a school where you felt threatened, or uneasy. Because I've been there too. And no one should ever have to feel that way. Especially in this family." Blaine looked into Kurt's eyes, the hazel melting the blue, and they exchanged a lazy kiss, little more than a peck, but enough to set both hearts clamouring for more.

The girls looked at each other uneasily. Were their parents about to start making out in Jessica's room? As Blaine moved to deepen the kiss, Penny cleared her throat, causing the men to remember where they were and what they were doing. They allowed their lips to break free of each other, sending an apologetic glance at each of the girls.

"Sorry. We kind of got caught up there, didn't we?" Blaine chuckled lightly.

"Not that we don't love you guys, but if you're going to make out, go do it in your own room, okay?" Jessica asked archly, her eyebrows nearly at her hairline as she assessed the situation. Kurt outright laughed at that.

"Well, if we have your permission," Kurt replied laughingly, and he began pulling Blaine out the door and down the hallway. Blaine laughed and followed his husband, while the three girls groaned. They _really_ didn't want to hear their parents having sex. They opted for a night at the movies.

Katherine now had her drivers licence, so they called out they were borrowing the car, put their coats on, and left, trying hard to ignore the soft giggles and breathy moans coming from their parents' bedroom. The three girls had bright red faces as they piled into the car, and it was _not_ from the chilly wind outside.

"I want that, someday," Jess murmured from the back seat, as Katherine pulled out of the driveway, making sure to check all ways before driving off.

"What?" Penny murmured, her mind lost in her own thoughts.

"The kind of love Dad and Daddy have. I want that. For me. Do you guys think I should change schools?" She asked plaintively, and Katherine and Penny each felt their hearts go out their sister.

"I think you should do whatever makes you happy, Jess," Katherine eyeballed her sister in the rear view mirror, before taking a left turn and heading toward the movie theatre.

Penny fiddled with the radio, until they found a station that suited their moods perfectly. They sang along, their voices harmonising as well as if they had been born doing it.

_Don't look at me_

_Every day is so wonderful_  
><em>And suddenly it's hard to breathe<em>  
><em>Now and then I get insecure<em>  
><em>From all the pain, feel so ashamed<em>

_I am beautiful, no matter what they say_  
><em>Words can't bring me down<em>  
><em>I am beautiful, in every single way<em>  
><em>Yes, words can't bring me down, oh no<em>  
><em>So don't you bring me down today<em>

_To all your friends you're delirious_  
><em>So consumed in all your doom<em>  
><em>Tryin' hard to fill the emptiness, the piece is gone<em>  
><em>Left the puzzle undone, ain't that the way it is?<em>

_'Cause you are beautiful, no matter what they say_  
><em>Words can't bring you down, oh no<em>  
><em>You are beautiful, in every single way<em>  
><em>Yes, words can't bring you down, oh no<em>  
><em>So don't you bring me down today<em>

_No matter what we do_  
><em>No matter what we do<em>  
><em>(No matter what we say)<em>  
><em>No matter what we say<em>  
><em>(We're the song that's outta tune)<em>  
><em>(Full of beautiful mistakes)<em>

_(And everywhere we go)_  
><em>And everywhere we go<em>  
><em>(The sun will always shine)<em>  
><em>The sun will always, always shine!<em>  
><em>(But tomorrow we might awake on the other side)<em>

_'Cause we are beautiful, no matter what they say_  
><em>Yes, words won't bring us down, oh no<em>  
><em>We are beautiful, in every single way<em>  
><em>Yes, words can't bring us down, oh no<em>  
><em>So don't you bring me down today<em>

_Don't you bring me down today_  
><em>Don't you bring me down today<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Soooo? What do you think? And don't forget Dom Barnes! He needs lots of love right now! Go give it to him! XD<strong>


	11. Chapter 11

**Okay. First off; APOLOGIES. I am truly sorry for everyone who has been waiting for OVER A MONTH for this chapter! Between real life, Save Me, Blush, and fighting to try and get my passport back in time for New York, this story has kind of fallen by the wayside. But don't worry! I'll never forget it, and will strive to finish it if it's the last thing I do!**

**Second: APOLOGIES AGAIN! To all my friends headed to New York on the 20th; I wish like crazy I was going with you. But my passport will not be back in time. I will miss seeing the closing night performance of Darren in H2$, which I was so looking forward to! I am terribly dissappointed, but hope to be able to visit New York another time. Possibly in August, as a birthday present to myself! XD**

**Third: Anyone who has read Dalton by CP Coulter, will recognise the names of the schools in this chapter. I have no imagination; I just took names that happened to be already written. So a shout out to Mama CP for that!**

**Fourth: This is just a filler chapter. I've been fighing to decide where this is going, and this chapter seems to be a starting point. Hopefully, the characters will tell me what they want, and I won't be left scratching my head wondering what to do next! I don't own anything, so enjoy! XD**

* * *

><p>Blaine looked around the room at the women who converged on Kurt. He noticed Kurt smiling brightly at them, wondering what he had let himself in for. He slowly wandered to the coffee table, watching Kurt interacting with those around him.<p>

"Hi!" A short, rotund, balding man offered his hand, shaking Blaine's hand limply as he turned to steal one of the donuts provided on the table. Blaine smiled politely, his attention more focused on Kurt than the man beside him.

"My name is Adrian," The short man continued, stuffing half the donut in his mouth at once. Blaine shuddered inwardly, still smiling but now looking for a way to escape this man without seeming overly desperate to get away.

"Blaine," he offered shortly, noting the man had donut crumbs left at the side of his mouth. He sighed softly as another couple of men appeared, introducing themselves as Chad and Jeff. Jeff followed his eyes, and caught him staring at Kurt. A smile broke out over the man's face, and he chuckled softly. The other three men looked at Jeff in concern.

"Kurt's been kind of a major influence here the past couple of weeks." Jeff explained. "I'm glad you could finally make it, Blaine." He reached his hand out and clasped Blaine's hand warmly, and Chad and Adrian each let out a small gasp. Chad's eyes immediately lit up in warmth and friendship, but Adrian's eyes turned sullen and brooding, as though he was experiencing something fairly unpleasant. He took his seat without speaking another word to any of the other men.

"What's up with him?" Blaine asked once Adrian had left the little group. Chad frowned, looking at the back of Adrian's head, shaking his head softly.

"I'm not sure if he's having an identity crisis or what, but it's like he's decided Kurt is the most gorgeous man in the world. He doesn't even pay as much attention to his wife as he does Kurt, and she runs the meetings!" He pointed to Camille, the tall willowy blond who was calling for everyone to now take their seats.

Blaine felt his blood pressure increase as his vision started to blur; this _married_ man was attracted to _his_ Kurt? _How dare he?_ Blaine grasped Kurt's hand as he sat, possessively keeping himself between Kurt and Adrian. Kurt turned to Blaine with a small frown, taking in the jealous look to his eyes. He caught Blaine sneaking glances toward Adrian, and Kurt began to understand. He leaned in to Blaine's shoulder, whispering softly for only Blaine to hear.

"He doesn't matter, Blaine. He's not who I come home to every night. You are. And you always will be," Kurt's voice dropped an octave, and Blaine felt a satisfied shiver run up his spine as he smirked in Adrian's direction. Too bad the man wasn't watching him, he thought. Closing his eyes, he slipped his lips to Kurt's cheek, kissing down the jawline softly, before placing a chaste kiss against his husband's lips.

"You should be paying attention," Kurt admonished, before turning back to the front. A faint blush crept over his features, and Blaine smirked again to see it. He stole a glance at Adrian again, and caught the other man scowling fiercely at him. Oh. He _had_ seen the kiss. Blaine was quite satisfied at that, even though it was petty. Kurt was _Blaine's_, and no short, balding man was going to take him away. He returned his attention to the front of the room, as Kurt was requested to come up and speak.

"Hi, everyone. My name is Kurt Hummel-Anderson, and I've been asked to speak today on the subject of raising gay teens. Having been one myself, and raising one as well, I think this hour should prove to be an interesting one," The small group laughed softly at the joke, and Kurt pulled his cue cards from his pocket. As he launched into his speech, Blaine noted that his husband seemed very at ease with this role, and made a mental note to look into other jobs or hobbies which would entail Kurt teaching. He seemed to truly enjoy being there.

The entire room was held transfixed as Kurt told his story; of being the only out gay kid at his high school, of the slushies and the swirlies and the dumpster tosses. He told of his best friends who, although they watched and were appropriately incensed, couldn't do anything about it because of the lack of intervention on the part of the teachers.

He told about what it felt like to be there, knowing no one could do anything about the bullying, about how alone and desperate it became. How at one point he had risked his life and challenged the bully who tormented him the most. How he had been kissed without his consent, had been threatened, and had spent the entire last year at the high school so stressed out that he lost thirty pounds. When he finally graduated, he had been an unbelievably dangerous hundred and eight pounds. How when he had finally confessed what had been happening, once it was all over, the doctor had shook his head and asked how he was still alive, as the average weight for Kurt's height was a hundred and sixty pounds.

Then he told about his daughter, who was coming to grips with being gay herself. He explained about the frustrations he had, of not being able to provide her with many of the answers she was looking for. For, no matter that he had gone through it all himself, it was her life and her decisions would affect whether she had the same types of experiences that he had.

Toward the end, he wrapped it up by saying that each person was individual, and no matter how much each parent tried to see things from their child's perspective, it was ultimately up to them to make the decisions they would, and as parents all they could do **was** gently guide their children to make the best decisions they could.

Following the resultant clapping, he opened the floor up to the questions that inevitably came with any type of instruction. Adrian had his hand up first, and Kurt asked him to share his question with everyone.

"So, if I have a gay kid, I shouldn't push him to come out because it's ultimately bad, right?" Adrian asked, his eyes following Kurt's every move as he quirked his eyebrow at the shorter man.

"Are you telling me you and Camille have a gay son?" Kurt asked quietly, and Camille frowned.

"No! No, I'm just asking… for those who may have a gay child," Adrian's face flushed, leaving him blotchy and running his hand through his short hair.

"It's not bad for a child to come out, but it has to be on their own time," Blaine cut in, attracting the attention of many in the room. "If you force someone out, it can seriously damage their self-esteem, their courage, and their life. I've seen outed people commit suicide because they haven't come to grips with it themselves." A gasp ran through the crowd, as that simple statement tugged at collective heartstrings.

Kurt walked over to his husband, placing his hand on Blaine's shoulder, lending comfort and imparting love.

"That's why we don't condone outing someone. Self-esteem is very important, and that's not just for teenagers. It's for any age; I don't believe in outing _anyone_, regardless of what they've done in their lives. If someone wants to remain closeted, then that's their choice, no one else's. You can't take something like that away from someone. Not ever." Kurt watched as Adrian sat back down, his eyes never leaving Kurt's face.

Kurt continued fielding questions, only stopping when someone pointed out that most of the teens they were discussing would be home within a matter of minutes. Kurt was thanked profusely, and he and Blaine stuck around for a bit longer to speak with Jeff and Camille.

"That went well, I think," Kurt murmured to Blaine, as he smiled a goodbye to one of the more emphatic women. "If we managed to get Adrian to learn something, I think it went quite well indeed." Blaine sighed softly, wrapping his arm around his husband's waist, pulling him into a loving hug.

"I don't know what it is about him, Love. I don't like the way he looks at you." Blaine murmured back, feeling Kurt rub his lower back soothingly.

"I know, sweetie. I'm sorry but I can't help feeling like he might be, you know, like us…" Kurt replied, breaking off as Camille and Jeff wandered up to them.

"Thank you so much, Kurt." Jeff smiled, his eyes darting down to where Blaine's arm was wrapped around Kurt's waist and back up to Blaine's face. "I'm so glad you managed to see your husband in action, Blaine. He was one of the better speakers we've had. Clear, concise, giving as few personal details as possible without losing the overall effectiveness of the message. I think we'll have to have you back again soon," he finished, reaching out to shake Kurt's hand in farewell.

"I agree. You were great up there, Kurt," Camille was a bit more reserved, but still smiled at the two men before her. "I can't wait to see you in action again. Have a good night!" She called, as she headed out to the parking lot. Jeff walked with the two men, locking the door to the hall behind him as they went.

"Until next week, then Kurt?" Jeff asked, and Kurt smiled back softly.

"I'll be there."

* * *

><p>"What did you think?" Kurt asked softly as they drove home. It was raining now, drizzling as they made their way. The swish of the wipers on the windshield was the only sound for a few moments, before Blaine stole a glance at Kurt, returning his eyes to the road just as quickly.<p>

"You were incredible up there, Kurt. Like you were born for it." Kurt blushed as he looked out the passenger window, his smile lighting up his entire face as he recalled the proceedings.

"I felt like I was back in my old debate class. Or in Glee Club. I always did love the thrill of getting up in front of others and showing them what I could do." He sighed softly. "I wish I could do that sort of thing more often." Blaine stole another glance at Kurt, making out the wistful look on his lover's face. He made a mental note to check in to things Kurt could do: possibly a drama class, or a motivational speaking course.

* * *

><p>When the men got home, they found Jessica sitting on the front porch, her bag slung onto the floorboards beside her, watching the rain come down. Blaine decided to go inside, and allow Kurt a moment to commune with their daughter. Kurt sat on the swing beside Jess, his arm automatically going around her shoulders as she leaned into his embrace. Suddenly she turned her head to his chest and began to cry softly.<p>

"Jess?" Kurt whispered, his voice barely audible above the patter of the rain all around them. "Tell me what's wrong?" Jessica's normally blue eyes were a deep bluish-grey as she looked up into his own. His heart nearly stopped as he realised just how beautiful she truly was. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead softly.

"Marisa wouldn't talk to me at all today. None of my friends would. I just sat there at lunch, by myself, not talking to anyone or doing anything differently than I normally would. Then a boy walked by. A nice boy, or so I thought. He'd always been nice to me. His name was Josh. Josh Sanders. He… called me a name." Her tears began flowing again as she stammered, trying to get the offensive term out.

"He called me a…. clitty-licker." Kurt's heart broke in two and his blood began to boil at the same time. His daughter, one of the most beautiful, amazing people he knew, was being called such a derogatory name from some asshole who didn't even know her! And Kurt made a decision right then and there: no one was going to get away with this, especially not a scumbag like that! He held his daughter tight while she cried, the rain all around making him want to weep too.

"Jess?" Kurt asked softly, when her tears had abated just a bit. "Would… would you like to check out a private school? Somewhere safe, where you wouldn't be bullied like that anymore?" Jessica's breath hitched, a soft sob sounding from her throat, and he detected a soft nod from her, as she crushed her face back into his chest.

* * *

><p>After dinner, once the girls were in bed, Kurt opened his laptop. He pulled up the best schools in the country, coming up with a number of schools that had zero tolerance bullying policies. There were a number of them across the country that had been set up specifically to promote a safe learning environment. There were also a lot of websites that dealt with bullying, how to prevent and contain it, and how to get those involved working together rather than against each other. He found a lot of information about bullying on a website called BullyFreeWorld dot com. It gave a lot of information, and Kurt bookmarked it for future reference.<p>

Once he had chosen the top three schools he could find, he printed out information on each of them.

Hanover Preparatory School in Los Angeles catered to the rich and famous of Hollywood. A lot of child actors went there, and although Jessica hadn't shown any ambitions of becoming an actress, she wouldn't stick out as they had many different types of people there.

Windsor House was located in North Eastern Massachusetts, along a well-travelled highway just outside of Lowell. It was fairly secluded, but the teacher to student ratio was six to one, which made it easier for the teachers to identify and stop any type of bullying.

Stuart Academy, situated in the heart of downtown Houston, Texas, featured an amazing music program, and boasted a stable full of horses that he knew Jessica would love to get to know. They taught equestrian lessons as well as the regular academics.

He placed the information in a series of folders, and set them to the side. He would keep Jess home from school tomorrow, and they would go over each of the schools together with Blaine, and make their decision then. Kurt ran a weary hand over his face; he wished the world were different. He wished his daughter could fit in with her peers without feeling like an outsider. Not that he would change her; never that. But he did wish he could change the world and make it a bit more accepting to the way things were. He wished she didn't have to go through everything he had gone through. He wished she didn't feel quite so alone. Kurt headed up to bed with all of these things swirling around restlessly in his head.

* * *

><p>The next morning, after Katherine and Penny went off to school, he sat Jessica down at the kitchen table, and called Blaine into the kitchen to join them. They all sat there, and marvelled over the schools that Kurt had located. Jessica remained slightly subdued, however, as she picked up pictures from each school, denoting how lovely they each were.<p>

"Dad, Daddy, I'm not sure if I should…" Jessica trailed off, her face studying the picture she was holding intently. Blaine looked at Kurt, his eyebrow raised in query. Kurt simply shrugged, and leaned closer to his daughter.

"Not sure if you should what, Jess?" Blaine asked hesitantly, seeing his daughter raise her blue eyes to his.

"I'm not sure if I should go to another school. Dad, didn't you say before that you hated running away? Even though you were happy at that other school, you said you regretted being chased away from your friends, right?" Blaine nodded in agreement, sitting back and watching the emotions play over Jessica's face.

"That's true, Jessica. I did regret it. I still do. But I don't regret the friends I made at Dalton. Nor do I regret the fact that I remained safe until the day I graduated." Jessica pounced on what was being left unsaid like a cat on a mouse.

"But once you graduated you figured out the world was different, didn't you, Dad? I mean, you weren't bullied for being gay, just small, but the world still didn't accept you for who you were, did they?" Blaine crimsoned, recalling his first few days at his first job after graduation. He still felt a pang of embarrassment as he remembered being interviewed and rejected due to his short stature.

"You're right, Jess. The world _didn't_ accept me right away. I had to prove myself, over and over again, until I made them take notice of me. But it was hard. I didn't get a free pass just because I went to Dalton. It was nice to have the contacts, but it didn't mean I didn't have to claw my way up from the ground floor to get to where I am now." Jessica nodded as her father's words confirmed her own fears.

"But you should know, Jess. I went through staying where I was, being bullied, and I discovered how hard it can be," Kurt's voice cut in, and both Blaine and Jessica turned to look at him. "I lost weight, I looked half dead all the time, I stopped eating, and came dangerously close to losing my life a couple of times. I was stressed out because of the bullying, and I never want you to have to worry about that sort of thing." Kurt's voice trembled as his emotions surged to the surface, roiling dangerously as he fought to suppress them. Jessica placed her hand on Kurt's, imparting strength and courage, allowing him a moment to gather his emotions back into his control.

"I understand that, Daddy. I really do. But I'm not like you. I'm not as strong, or courageous, or smart as you. What if I don't fit in at a different school? What if I never find a place that I can belong?" Jess hung her head, her silence betraying her shaken self-confidence better than anything words ever could.

"Maybe… maybe I should stay where I am, for now." Kurt looked over at Blaine, who watched his daughter with tears standing in his eyes. "I can find out if I still have any friends at school. I can try to make new ones if the old ones won't have me. If I can't figure this all out in a month, then I will ask to be transferred. I won't stay some place I'm not wanted, but I don't want to run away, either." The swell of emotion Kurt knew Blaine shared was a combination of love and pride. Their daughter was so much more than she believed herself to be. And this was the proof, right here.

"Sweetheart. If you think you can stand to stay in that school for the next month, then that's your choice." Blaine's voice was choked, and Jessica looked up, seeing the tears as one slowly rolled down Blaine's cheek. "But if it _ever_ gets to be too much, if anyone hurts you so much that you can't stand it, you come to one or both of us, all right? _We will help you. _You never, _ever_, have to do this alone. Do you understand me?" Blaine wrapped his arms around his daughter, holding her close as she began to cry again, as his own tears slipped silently down his cheeks.

Kurt slid from his own chair, kneeling in front of the two seated before him. He reached up and twined one of his hands with Blaine's, and the other with Jessica. And they sat there, simply taking comfort in each others' presence.

* * *

><p>Nick Cardwell answered his phone on the second ring, reading the caller ID on the screen before answering.<p>

"Hey, if it isn't one of my favourite nieces! How's Jessica doing this glorious fall day?" Nick blinked a couple of times, then stuck his finger in his eye, trying to rub the sleep from them. He rolled over, kissing his wife gently as she stirred, and then retreated to the bathroom. It was Saturday, and he had planned to get together with a few of his friends for some guy bonding time.

"Uncle, Nick, can I talk to you?" Nick frowned; Jessica was usually much more responsive to his enthusiastic hellos. He started to become slightly worried.

"Of course, Jessica. Is everything all right? Do you need me to pick you up somewhere?" Nick had a sudden vision of Jessica stuck somewhere with no way to get home, and clutched the phone closer to his ear. "Talk to me, sweetie. _Are you okay?_"

"I'm fine, Uncle Nick… I just… need to talk to someone who isn't family right now. Can you come get me?" Nick took a breath. He advised her it would take him a couple of hours to get everything ready, but he'd be there. Did she want to come stay the weekend with him?

"Yes, please? I'd love to see Aunt Caroline and Mandy, if you don't think I would be imposing." Nick assured her she could never impose on them, and after promising her that he wouldn't tell anyone but Caroline and Mandy that she was coming, he hung up.

"Mmmm," Caroline hummed as Nick placed a soft kiss to her temple, opening one eye sleepily as she focussed her gaze on her husband. "Nick? Who was that?"

"It was Jessica, Love." Caroline's eyes popped open, and she sat up in bed.

"Is she all right? She doesn't usually call you for no reason… Normally if she wants to talk she calls Wes or David. Is everything okay?" Caroline's panic momentarily set off his own, and he felt his heart rate speed up in accordance.

"She says she's fine. Just needs to talk to someone who isn't family. I guess she means close family," Nick sighed. "I promised to go pick her up. Do you mind if she stays here for the night? I'll bring her back home tomorrow. She and Mandy can have a movie night," Caroline sighed softly as well, and wrapped her arms around Nick's shoulders.

"Of course she can stay the night. She can stay as long as she wants. Now if it were Katie or Penny, I'd say just one night. But I've never had _any_ problems with Jess. She's always been the perfect child. And luckily for us, she passed some of that on to Mandy," Caroline smiled softly, thinking about her six year old daughter, currently sleeping away in her bedroom.

"If you hurry, Nick, you can get back before lunch, and we can all go out together. How's that sound?" Nick laughed softly, trying not to wake his daughter.

"That sounds delightful, Love. Mmmm," He kissed Caroline soundly on the lips, caressing her shoulder before easing her gently back onto the bed. "You go back to sleep for a bit; I'll call the helicopter crew and see if they'll rouse this early for an extra couple thousand. Being rich _does_ have its perks…" Caroline giggled as he pressed a gentle kiss against her throat, and then left.

* * *

><p><strong>Well. Lookit that. I think I know where I want to go with this now. Oh, and before you ask, yes "Nick" is the Warbler who hangs out with Jeff all the time, and is played by Curt Mega. I couldn't for the life of me figure out if "Nick" had a last name, so I picked one randomly out of the phone book. Yes, I do get very random sometimes! XD<strong>


	12. Chapter 12

**Okay you guys, I feel the need to say something here. An anonymous reviewer recently happened to mention that I was perpetuating the stereotype that "Gay Parents Raise Gay Children". It really hurt me, knowing that there are people out there who think that I feel this way. I don't. That's like saying heterosexual people raise heterosexual children. Sure, it's a possibility. But doesn't always happen. It's really frustrating, because I put so much care and thought into every character I write, _especially_ Katherine, Penny and Jessica. When I got that, I was actually tempted to stop writing altogether.**

**Jessica is _thirteen_. Not twenty-something, not thirty-something, but _thirteen_. Why the hell should she have to choose to be eiher fully gay or fully straight at that age? Or any age, really? She happened to fall in love with her _best friend_, who was female. What's wrong with that? She is strong, she has always been loved unconditionally by both her parents, and as such, has seen how much true love can affect a family. Why wouldn't she want to love like that? _I _want to love like that! **

**I know a lot of people who are confused about their sexuality. I also know a lot of people who are absolutely certain about what they want. There are _so many _different types of personalities out there, why the hell would you want to restrict yourself if you find someone who makes you whole? It shouldn't matter if they are male, female, or somewhere in between. If you find your soul mate, the one person who can love you for yourself, though all your faults, your joys, your depressions and your happinesses, why would you not grab on tight with both hands and never let go?**

**Trust me, Love is Love. And if there happens to be someone out there for me, who will love me regardless of all the emotional baggage I come with, then I will be more than happy simply to go with it. And if he's a guy, then great. If she's a girl, then that's all right too! Is it really so hard to believe that all I want is to be loved?**

**Sorry guys. I don't mean to rant. But I feel Jessica is an extension of myself. I write my frustrations, my passions and my life into her. She is who I wish I could have been in high school. I was always the bookish, non-athetic, shy girl who spent hours in the library amongst the old books and computers. To this day, I prefer typing out stories at home in my room than getting involved in a social club. And to believe that someone thinks that I don't spend _hours_ thinking of the consequences of every action my characters take, frustrates the hell out of me. **

* * *

><p>Jessica felt her heart jump to her throat as a knocking sounded at the front door. She was sitting at the kitchen table, doing her homework, Katherine and Penny were at cheerleading practice, her Daddy was cooking and Dad was working in his study.<p>

Jess jumped up and raced to her room, grabbing the overnight bag she had packed secretly this morning, and landed back at the front doorstep as Kurt and Blaine greeted Nick, throwing their arms around their friend.

"Nick! What brings you here?" Kurt grinned as he acknowledged the hug between his daughter and her uncle. Nick lifted his eyebrow questioningly at Jessica, and Kurt stole a quick, worried glance at Blaine. Blaine looked just as baffled as Kurt felt.

"I…. Came to see if I could steal Jess away for the night?" Nick sounded hesitant, as though he was making up a lie on the spot. Blaine looked at Jessica, who contrived to look innocent as she hoisted her bag on her shoulder a little more. She blushed softly as his gaze pierced her eyes.

"I asked him to come," Jessica finally blurted out nervously. "I… I wanted to go visit with Mandy, and see Aunt Caroline, and… well… I wanted to get someone else's perspective. Unbiased, I guess you could say…" Jessica trailed off, her pleading eyes boring into her father's hazel ones, and then flitting to meet her other father's bright blue ones.

"It's only for the one night?" Kurt asked softly, his eyes seeking Nick's for confirmation.

"Of course. I'll have her back tomorrow evening, in time to get a good night's sleep before school." Nick promised, putting his hand softly on Jessica's shoulder, even though she was nearly as tall as he was.

"Can… can I please go?" Jessica asked, her eyes on the floor in front of her, silently begging to be allowed to go. Blaine and Kurt looked at each other, a small smile playing over each of their lips.

"Of course you can go, Jess," Kurt replied softly, reaching over and kissing Jessica on the forehead. "You've obviously planned this. I don't see any problem with it, and it's not like you're going somewhere we don't know about. I know Nick will keep you safe. What do you think Blaine?" He turned to Blaine, who smiled back.

"I agree. Nick will take excellent care of you. Get out what you need to, and come back feeling better about the situation." He hugged Jessica tightly. Jessica's heart leapt as she realised they understood. How many parents would have understood so completely what she needed and why? She'd had friends; she knew how hard it was for some of them to be able to talk to their parents about stuff. Once again, she thanked God that she was a part of this family, and no one else's.

She and Nick waved goodbye to her dads, and together they walked to the car Nick had rented to drive himself from the airport to her house. She threw her bag in the back seat, and buckled herself into the front seat of the passenger side. As Nick climbed in, he threw a quick glance at Jessica, trying to read her thoughts.

"Wanna tell me about it?" Nick asked softly, and Jessica crumbled. Even as a child, she had always been emotionally very sensitive, and Nick asking her right out to talk with him sent her emotions into a free-fall. She sobbed softly, her hands over her face, and Nick started the car.

He began to drive, allowing her enough time to overcome the emotions that threatened her. As her chaotic thoughts began to quiet, he passed her the travel package of Kleenex he had had the foresight to pick up before getting to her house.

"T-thank y-you," she stammered, drying her eyes with the tissues, and blowing her nose softly. "I'm sorry," she added in a small voice.

"There is _nothing_ for you to be sorry about, pumpkin," Nick stated, his eyes flitting between her face and the road as he continued driving. "You want to tell me what's going on?" Jessica took a deep breath, and started at the beginning. She told about Marisa, about all of her friends ditching her, about how alone she felt and abandoned by her peers.

Then she told him about her fathers, and how they had offered to send her to private school, like Dad had gone to. She told about her Daddy, and how he had come out of school with a dangerously low weight from stress, how her Dad had had raised expectations of life after Dalton, and how the world had changed both of their views.

Then she told him of her fears. She was afraid that she would never have friends again. She was afraid that even if she did have friends, they wouldn't actually like her for who she was, just the fact that her family now had lots of money. She'd already experienced this with a couple of people at school. She was afraid that she would never find someone to love her, because she was too tall, and skinny, and gangly, like a newly born horse. She wasn't athletic or pretty like her sisters. She was shy, and quiet, and book smart, but not very street smart when it came to a lot of things. She was afraid that someone someday might take advantage of her, and she was scared that she wouldn't be able to recognise it when it happened. She trailed off, unsure what to say next.

Nick sat silently, allowing the young girl to vocalise all of her fears, frustrations and anger. He listened as only he could, something he had learned early on in life. If you listen carefully to what a person says, most times they can come up with an answer to their problems themselves. They might not always recognise the answer, even if it's staring them in the face. Sometimes, you need someone else to point it out to them. He did so now.

"It sounds as though you know what you want to do, but are afraid to take that step, Jess," Nick offered gently, his eyes flicking back to the girl sitting beside him once more.

"I have to stay, I think." Jessica whispered, her voice trembling as she finally stated what she had tentatively decided. Nick smiled at her, encouraging her to go on.

"I'm being bullied for something I can't control. I know that, in my head. But my heart hurts because I trusted Marisa. She was my best friend for nearly four years. Now she won't even talk to me. I have to find a way to make it right." Nick pulled in to the airport, parking the car at the rental outlet.

"Actually Jess," Nick interrupted smoothly. "You don't have to make anything right. It's not your fault that you fell for Marisa. I'm sure she was kind, and sweet, and gentle with you before you came out to her. After all, I can't see you falling in love with someone who treats you the way she does now. But it's _her_ who's changed, not you. You can stay if you like, I'm not saying you can't. But you have to realise that she isn't going to change back into the girl you knew."

Jessica took a deep breath, following after Nick as he led the way to the helicopter. As they clambered in, she thought about what her uncle Nick had told her. He was right, she knew; Uncle Nick was smart like that. But what should she do about it? She thought about it the entire trip.

* * *

><p>"Jessy!" Mandy screamed when she saw her favourite person in the whole world. Nick laughed as Jess scooped the little girl up in her arms for a quick hug, throwing his arms around his wife in greeting, and kissing her softly on the lips. Jess put the girl down after her hug, and leaned in close to her Aunt.<p>

"Aunt Caroline, thank you so much for putting up with me," Jessica murmured, a quick tear slipping down her face, which she roughly brushed away.

"Hey, now, none of that," Caroline admonished gently, slipping her arms around the girl who towered over her, giving her a big hug. "There is nothing to 'put up with' here. You are more than welcome to come stay with us whenever you need to, which is more than I can say for your sisters!" They all laughed at that, knowing how bossy and frustrating both Katherine and Penny could be.

"Okay, Nick, I've booked us a luncheon at Chez David; he is expecting us in half an hour. We need to get going if we want to make it in time," Caroline announced, and Jessica took Mandy's hand in her own. Together they made their way out to the car, waiting only a few moments for Nick and Caroline to join them.

"Jess?" Mandy asked as they waited, her gorgeous green eyes looking up with adoration to the tall girl beside her. "Do you love me?" Jess reached down and picked up the little girl, balancing her on her hip gently as she thought about it for a moment.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do, sweetie. Why?" Jessica asked interestedly, her eyebrow quirking in a very similar manner to what her Daddy did on a regular basis.

"I just wondered. I don't get to see you very much anymore," Mandy lay her head on Jess' shoulder, her arms wrapped around her neck as she spoke. Jess breathed in the sweet smell of Mandy's shampoo, cuddling her close as she opened the door to the back seat of the car.

"I'm sorry, Mandy. But I have school to go to, every single day. Like you, now, right?" Mandy giggled as she nodded enthusiastically.

"Yup! I get to go every single day, for the whole day! My teacher is so cool! Her name is Mrs. Armstrong, and she likes to sing to us every day!" Jessica smiled softly at her charge, watching Nick and Caroline emerge from the house and make their way to the car. They all climbed in, and Nick drove them to David's house for lunch.

* * *

><p>"So, I'm still unsure of what to do, Aunt Caroline. On the one hand, I can stay and possibly succumb to stress, but on the other hand, I can go to another school, and run away. But if I run away from this, then chances are I'll keep running away from the rest of my life. What do you think I should do?"<p>

Mandy had been put to bed an hour ago, and Jessica and Aunt Caroline were sitting on the back porch, swinging on the porch swing and gazing out onto the property. It was a beautiful stretch of land, with very few houses around; the closest house was four miles away, on the other side of the small private lake they shared. Nick had retired to the bedroom to do a bit of leftover work from the week. Caroline took a few moments to simply sit and think, allowing herself to bask in the glow of the setting sun. Then she answered.

"I think you've thought this out incredibly well, Jessica. You are so much smarter than any of us give you credit for. I've never met anyone your age who could reason out a problem so well. There is no right or wrong answer to this problem, honey. It depends on what your feelings tell you, and you are the only person who can make the decision. Do you think you can tough it out, and stay in the school that has become like a prison for you? Or would transferring be a better option? Could you live with yourself for running away from a place that could be better or worse than what you're running to? These are the things you have to consider. Now that your parents are wealthy, it does open up a world of possibilities. And you're right to worry about people using you for money. Anyone who has money has to think about these things when picking out their friends. It's difficult. But the best thing about your family, Jessica Lynn Hummel-Anderson, is that no matter what decision you choose, they will stand behind you one hundred percent. Your Dad's are amazing people. Not too many would have the insight to let you make your own decisions, especially at your age. But Kurt and Blaine are very intuitive about you and your sisters. I've known them for about eight years now, and I've never known them to be wrong about what they want for the three of you. And the most amazing thing is that they passed a lot of that intuition to you. Your sisters have a bit of it too, but you, ultimately, have been shaped and moulded by the intuitiveness of your Dads. And as such, you've learned to look into the heart of any problem, and are able to solve it, even if the solution hurts. I think, honestly, that's what most of your problem is, Jessica. You want someone else to make a decision for you, because you feel no matter what you choose, it's going to hurt. And you'd be correct. But that's what life is all about. Choosing the lesser of two evils. And so you have to decide: which choice will ultimately make you happier?" Caroline wound down her speech, glancing over at the girl sitting silently beside her.

"Don't answer now, Baby." Caroline slipped her arm around the girl, giving her a comforting squeeze, and stood swiftly, picking up the two now empty glasses they had brought outside with them. "Sleep on it. Make your decision in the morning, with a clear head and a quiet heart. For now, just let it sit." Jessica stood, embracing Caroline gently, and made her way slowly to the guestroom.

She put on her night gown, slipped her feet under the covers and was asleep before she could even recite the poem she normally said before sleeping.

* * *

><p>The next morning dawned bright and early, and Jessica woke up to the sound of birdcalls outside the window. For the first time in days, her heart was light. She had made her decision, and although it may be wrong, it was hers, and she was prepared to live with the consequences.<p>

Mandy came running into her room at top speed, and Jessica's heart soared. She really did love this little girl with whom she shared such an affinity. Swinging Mandy up in her arms, she set out a careful plan, advising the young girl that they were going on a picnic that morning. Mandy let out a delighted squeal, and ran to tell her parents.

As Jessica made her bed and planned out what she was going to wear on their picnic, Caroline appeared at the doorway. She smiled as she looked over Jessica's bright face, taking in the genuine smile and the bright chipper attitude.

"Made your decision?" She asked fondly, watching Jessica as she literally danced around the room.

"Yep!" Jessica replied. She told Caroline what she had decided, making the woman smile hugely, and she dashed forward to hug her niece.

"I am so proud of you, sweetheart. And remember, if anything goes wrong, you can always change your mind later!" Jessica nodded fervently, and rushed to get things packed up in her bag. Once she was done, and the bag was in the back of Nick's car, she and Caroline packed up a picnic lunch, and brought Mandy and Nick out to the back of the property. There, she advised her Uncle of what she was going to do, and he praised her and told her how proud he was of her as well. And of course, he made a solemn promise that should anything go wrong, and she need to get away for a bit, he would be there to get her and whisk her away from all the drama. She smiled softly at them all, and then got up to play a game of hide and seek with Mandy.

* * *

><p>Nick was able to deliver her to her front door by 7:30 that night, Kurt and Blaine opening the door to see a smiling, radiant Jessica beaming back at them. They laughed and hugged her, and said goodbye to Nick. Once Nick had left, they called Katherine and Penny into the living room, and Jessica made her declaration:<p>

"I'm going back," Jessica stated matter-of-factly.

"I'm tired of being teased, tormented and bullied. They have no right to do this to me. I'm strong. I'm strong because I have my family around me." She looked to each of her family members in turn, seeing their faces light up as she met their eyes.

"There is _nothing_ I can't do, and if they can't see that, then it is _their _problem, not mine. I am smart; I am confident; I am strong. I _know_ there are other people at school that are being bullied, again for things they can't control. I know of at least four people who sit alone at lunch and on breaks, because they have no friends. I'm going to befriend them. I'm going to stop trying to be a part of a clique. I'm going to create my own. I am going to befriend anyone who looks like they need someone to talk to. And Marisa better stay out of my way. Because _no one_ is going to stop me."

Kurt watched his youngest daughter, tears standing out in his eyes. She was so much stronger than he had been in high school. He had always professed not to care when the bullies bothered him; in reality, it had terrified and tormented his life for the entire time he'd been in high school. He was exceptionally proud of his daughter.

Blaine watched Kurt's face as Kurt tried to avoid crying. Blaine was also incredibly proud of Jessica. She was staying in a school that she had been tormented at. Granted, she hadn't been physically assaulted, like he had been, but it still hurt her, and to know that she wasn't going to put up with it any longer made him want to sing out loud. He smiled proudly at her, as he cuddled Kurt close to him.

Katherine and Penny were divided. On the one hand, they were both exceptionally proud of Jessica, for wanting to stick up for her self and others. It wasn't fair that she get bullied for showing a part of who she was. But at the same time, they were afraid for her. Jessica wasn't athletic, or as popular as they were. She didn't have a clique of friends around her to give her protection if she needed it. Neither Katherine nor Penny went to the same school as Jessica did, and that made it incredibly hard for them to stick up for her if someone were to start pushing her around. But Jessica wasn't about to be persuaded that she was making the wrong decision. Her eyes glazed over just a bit as she promised fervently:

"The students at Widdifield just better watch out. I have a mission, now. And God help anyone who wants to stand in my way. Just let them try. Because I know I can help those around me. And I will."

* * *

><p><strong>Can I be perfectly honest here? I didn't know what Jessica would choose until I wrote it. I mean, this last little section, where Jess says "i'm going back." I didn't know that was going to happen. It was a fifty-fifty split as to what she would choose. I could have just as easily gotten her out of the situation. But she wanted to fight. Maybe I'm not as similar to her as I thought. I'm not sure I would have ever had the courage to fight for something I believed in so strongly. I would have wanted to; but to actually go out and <em>do it<em>? It makes me wonder. **


	13. Chapter 13

**Thanks to GleekMom for betaing, Thanks to Josh (jedwards27) on Twitter for reminding me I haven't posted in a while, and Thanks to all of you guys who keep coming back to read, chapter after chapter. Never in my wildest imaginings could I have predicted how much love I would receive just from posting silly little stories that I make up in my head. You guys really do make me happy. **

**Introducing a few new characters in this chapter. Just a heads up: this chapter takes place a few weeks after the last one, so if it seems a bit disjointed, I apologise.** **Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

><p>Blaine sat in the porch swing, watching the kids in the back yard. Jessica had invited over a few of her new friends from school. He watched as they sat around talking under the old elm tree at the far edge of the property. He wasn't sure he liked these new friends of Jessica's, but he wasn't going to judge them before he'd really had a chance to meet them. They seemed a bit too… quiet, for him.<p>

Kurt emerged from the back door, carrying a tray of pink lemonade and a bunch of glasses to the table set up on the grass. Jess noticed him, and stood, wiping her pants off as she went. The other kids watched cautiously, as she made her way to the table, and poured herself a glass. She turned and was surprised that no one had followed her.

"Uh, guys? I don't think I can drink all this myself. You gonna come help me out?" And with that invitation, the others proceeded to stand and make their way to the table as well. Kurt retired to the porch swing with Blaine, watching the youngsters as well.

"You know, when Jess said she was going to befriend the outcasts, I really didn't think she meant these guys," Blaine murmured softly to Kurt, who nodded gently back. The differences between each of the kids was incredible, and each one looked like they should have their own set of friends.

Ashley was a shy, quiet, studious young woman, with glasses and kinky brown hair. She would have been utterly forgettable in any crowd, but when she smiled, her entire face lit up in joy. She was slender, and tall, like Jessica, but while Jess had a natural grace to her, Ashley was somewhat gangly, as though she was still growing into her legs. She was also naturally clumsy, and had tripped twice just walking from the elm tree to the backyard table.

Josh was tall too, but he was more solid than gangly. With broad shoulders and light brown hair, anyone might mistake him for a jock. But he was incredibly gentle. He couldn't hurt a fly, at least, not on purpose, and he was always extremely aware of where everyone was around him. He could be boisterous, and would have been extremely popular with everyone, but people had found out a long time ago that he was gay, and stopped talking to him. Jessica had told them he used working out as a way to relieve some of the anguish he felt at being left out of groups.

Carter was slender, male, gay and completely Goth. If the thick black eyeliner and black clothes hadn't tipped them off, his pale skin did. He was nearly as pale as Kurt was. His black lipstick came off on the glass as he sipped the cool drink, and he covertly wiped the smear from the lip of the glass. Kurt was sure there was a shadow of himself under all the make up and black, someone who needed a mentor to show him it was all right to be himself.

The last member of Jessica's little circle of friends was someone totally unexpected. Her name was Sarah, and she was completely gorgeous. Her blond, wavy hair reached mid-back, she was slender, but rounded in all the right places, and her blue eyes were clear and bright, showing a brilliant intelligence. She was quick-witted, reminding Blaine of Kurt back when they had first gotten together. Not that Kurt wasn't that now, of course. But time tends to dull the senses a bit, and Kurt liked to really think about what he was going to say to people now. Sarah didn't do that. Her words were sharp, to the point of really hurting if she chose to. Kurt and Blaine both wondered if something really wrong had happened to her in her past, as every once in a while she would simply drift off, her eyes losing focus and not hearing anything around her, until someone jolted her out of it. They simply weren't sure of her at all.

"Dads?" Jessica looked up at the men swinging on the porch, holding hands.

"Yeah, Jess?" Kurt replied, his hand squeezing Blaine's. Blaine squeezed back, loving every minute he was able to share with his husband. Especially as he had just gotten home this morning from another business trip. South America was nice, but this time of year was their winter, and he shivered as he recalled how cold it had been.

"Do you think… could we… maybe, have a campout tonight?" Jessica wondered. Kurt and Blaine looked at each other with small smiles. One of the things that Jess had always loved doing was the small over night campouts they had had in the backyard when she was younger. Katherine and Penny had never liked it much. They said they hated the bugs. But Jessica had enjoyed every single one, and while Kurt had never really understood the fun of sleeping outside, he had always enjoyed spending time with his girls.

"I don't see why not," Blaine replied, his smile making his eyes crinkle as he watched the young woman in front of him. "It might take me a few hours to find the sleeping bags, though." Blaine's mind began flipping through the places he had stored the camping gear. Under the basement stairs, in the shed, above the garage, the large hallway closet beside the laundry room…

"Actually, Dad, I was hoping I might be able to have a camp out with my friends," Jess blushed, knowing her dad was thinking about it being just the three present Hummel-Andersons. Blaine blinked, and Kurt laughed out loud.

"Oh, Gods, Blaine, you should see your face!" Kurt continued to giggle, as Blaine looked indignant. The teens behind Jessica all looked uncomfortable, as though the thought of one parent openly laughing at another was simply beyond them. Especially after their openly gay child had just asked for a camp out with a bunch of other openly gay teens. Blaine watched the faces of the others, seeing hope, resignation, and indifference fly across different faces.

"I suppose, Jess. But I want to stay out here too. It's not that I don't trust you…" Blaine began. Jessica blushed as she tried to come up with a reason for Blaine not to spend the night outside with them. But before she could, she was interrupted by Kurt.

"Blaine Everett Hummel-Anderson, you will do no such thing!" Blaine turned, eyeing his now thoroughly amused husband. "However," he continued, watching the delight play over his daughter's features at the prospect. "You _will_ obey the rules of the house, understand?" Jess nodded quickly and counted them off on her fingers.

"No alcohol, no drugs or cigarettes, especially around the tents. You will be out to tend the fire every couple of hours, and make sure it doesn't get too big. Nothing… sexual…"Jessica blushed, but continued. "Nothing… sexual… will happen between people while in the backyard, especially as no one is a couple yet," She looked furtively around to the others behind her, noting that they all had various looks of surprise on their faces.

"And I will make dinner inside, on the stove, although I'm sure we have marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers for s'mores." Kurt supplied, finishing off the rules. Blaine grinned gently at his husband.

"Oh, and the backyard is right below our bedroom window. We leave the window open at night, so we _will_ hear anything and everything that happens out there…" Kurt added in an offhand manner, sounding so much like Burt in the moment that Blaine actually had to double take and make sure it was Kurt beside him on the swing.

"Now, have any of you actually asked your parents if you can stay the night?" Kurt asked, looking around at the reluctant faces. Carter actually sneered for a moment, but schooled his face back into a semblance of indifference. "I'll take that as a no. All right, the phone is on the table beside the swing, and I want to speak to each of your parents once you're done telling them about it, to confirm it." The kids all groaned, but Carter stood up with a fierce look on his face.

"I don't need this bullshit. I'm out." He began stomping away, his hands clenching as the rest stood shocked. It was Josh who broke out of the shock first, calling out to the frustrated young man.

"Carter, hey, Carter, man, wait!" He jogged over to the shorter man, who shoved him away as he tried to place a restraining hand on Carter's shoulder. "Dude, hang on, all right? Just… look, I know we haven't really talked at all… But I want you to know we really do want you here… Why won't you just call your parents?" Josh finished softly, his eyes looking down at his shoes as he tried to give the shorter man a bit of breathing space.

"My… my parents don't give a fuck, that's why!" Carter's clenched teeth betrayed the poorly concealed frustration, as he spoke directly to the other young man. "My dad's likely shitfaced by now, and my mom is at work. Like always. They don't give a shit about me, or where I am! So why should I call them? Let them know I'm not coming home tonight? So what? It's not like they've ever cared before. I gotta go." Carter's face was pulled down into a grimace, as though he was fighting to stop himself from crying.

Blaine and Kurt had made their way to right behind the young man, and Blaine placed his hand on the kids' back, but had him shrug it off violently. It was Sarah who stepped in to talk to Carter next.

"Least you have parents…" She murmured, her hand reaching out to the young man. He flinched, but didn't throw her off. Kurt and Blaine looked at each other with tears in their eyes, but simply listened.

"My mom died in Hurricane Katrina, and my dad went crazy." Sarah's soft voice was clear, but they could all feel the pain that was usually buried so deep inside the girl. "A year after mom's body was found, he was institutionalised, and I was sent to live with my Aunt here in Columbus." Sarah's voice trailed away, as her eyes became unfocused, gazing off into nothingness.

Everyone there watched the young girl shudder, and her voice continued in a dead tone. "My Aunt's boyfriend liked young girls. When I went to stay with them in 2006, he… wasn't very pleasant." Kurt and Blaine looked at each other in horror, as the girls' past came out. "I was seven years old. I spent the better part of two years doing everything I could to avoid staying in that house at night. At least seven times the police tracked me down and returned me to the house. When I was nine, I finally told someone outside of the family. I had told my aunt, but she never did anything. Probably because he would have kicked the shit out of her if she had. She was pregnant with their first kid, and in the end he pushed her down a flight of stairs anyway. It killed her."

Ashley had come up behind Sarah, and wrapped the girls' hand in her own, looking on in sympathy. Carter had turned towards the beautiful girl, his hands shaking as he pulled her in for a hug.

"I'm… I'm so sorry, Sarah," He mumbled under his breath. The girl blinked, as a tear slid down her cheek. She gave a small cry, and launched herself into Carter's open arms. He shushed her gently, rubbing her back. The others had all gathered around, hugging the both of them, while Kurt and Blaine watched, mystified. It had only been a couple of weeks since Jess had put together this little group of outcasts, but here they were, supporting each other in the things they had gone through like a family should. They were so proud of their daughter.

"I'm sorry too," Kurt muttered softly, once the sobbing had abated somewhat. "But Carter, we can't have you over and have _no one_ told about you being here… How about we call your mom at work?" Carter's face was a mess from the tears, the mascara and eyeliner running down his cheeks and dripping onto his black tee shirt. He nodded miserably, resignation in his eyes as he watched Blaine grab the portable phone from the table beside the swing. He dialled the number, and asked for his mother, pausing a minute while she was located and put on the phone.

"Hey, mom… No, I'm fine. No I don't need you to pick me up, I… No, I'm with friends… What do you mean, what friends? I have friends… Mom… No, seriously… No there are no drugs involved, I told you I don't… Mom! Will you shut up for a minute?" Carter slowly calmed down as he listened to the silence on the other end of the phone. "Look, I'm sorry, but my friends want me to stay over here tonight… No there will be no sex… No, Jessica's Dads will be here… Yes, Dads… No, no mom… No, they aren't… Oh come on, Mom, just because I'm… No it _doesn't_ mean that I'm sleeping with them… _MOM…" _The mortified look on Carter's face made it plain that Kurt would need to take over the call. He silently asked for the phone, and Carter turned it over without a second thought.

"Hi, is this Carter's mom?" Kurt asked into the phone, stepping away from the kids and into the house to gain a bit of privacy.

"Yes, this is Amelia Whitehead, Carter's mother… Who is this please?" Came the reply down the line.

"Hi, I'm Kurt… Kurt Hummel-Anderson. I'm Jessica's father. We were wondering if it would be all right for Carter to spend the night here? The rest of the group are going to be camping out in the backyard, and it would be nice if he could stay and join them." Kurt's soothing voice seemed to be just what the woman didn't want to hear.

"And will they be chaperoned? I won't tolerate it if they aren't chaperoned… My boy is a good boy! I won't have him being pressured into anything he doesn't want to do! He's smart and funny and he may not look like it right now with all that crap on his face but he's quite a handsome young man and I won't have…"

"Mrs. Whitehead," Kurt interrupted smoothly. "Of course he'll be chaperoned. These kids are thirteen and fourteen years old. My husband will be outside with them all night. Nothing untoward will happen to any of them, I promise." A silence on the other end of the line made Kurt understandably nervous, and he paced lightly while the woman tried to think of other reasons to deny such a request.

"Well, fine. But I need the address, and the telephone number there, in case I need to get a hold of him. And he needs to be home before lunchtime tomorrow. And I swear if anything bad happens to him…" Mrs. Whitehead allowed her voice to trail off threateningly, and Kurt nearly laughed with how unthreatening it really was. He managed to keep his composure though, and solemnly promised that nothing bad would happen to her son. He then hung up, and ran his hand down his face wearily. Then he returned outside to face the kids.

"Good news: Carter is allowed to stay," Kurt smiled as each of the kids cheered, Josh physically picking up the smaller boy and swinging him around in a joyous hug. "On the downside, Blaine, you _will_ have to stay out here and watch them. I actually think it's a better idea than just letting you guys stay out here alone. After all, you are only thirteen and fourteen years old." He listened to the groan from the kids, but saw the grin creep over Blaine's face. His husband was _thrilled_. "Anyway, since you plan on setting up the tents out here, why don't you kids clean up the backyard while Blaine and I grab the camping gear?"

As they cleaned up the backyard, Kurt and Blaine entered the shed to find the camping gear that Kurt was positive was in there. Within minutes they had pulled out three tents, six sleeping bags, and six foam ground covers, and together with the kids, they proceeded to set up the backyard. In between the set up, Kurt pulled each of the other kids aside to contact a parent or guardian to advise them of the sleepover. All of the kids were excited as they had all gotten confirmation that it was all right for them to stay.

In the middle of set up, Katherine and Penny walked into the backyard, having just returned home from cheerleading practice. Penny rolled her eyes as Katherine muttered a small "Oh, _no_," drawing a look from her fathers at this. She placed her hand on her hip in defiance.

"I _hope_ you are not expecting me to sleep out here, Dad, because the ground is horrible to sleep on, especially when we just finished cheer practice!" Penny nodded fervently, but both were surprised when Kurt just threw a look at Blaine, and stepped up to them.

"Actually girls, this is a sleepover for Jessica and her friends. You two are most definitely _not_ invited. As a matter of fact, I'm not either. Blaine has to be here, as the kids are all still just that, kids; but the three of us are going back into the house, and we are going to watch the season finale of America's Got Talent, that I have waiting on the DVR, and then possibly another movie. I suppose I can let you two pick out which one, as long as here's no blood and guts and gore." Katherine and Penny were both surprised, and slightly pleased, that their Daddy wanted to spend some time with them. It had been a while since they had just hung out together.

Blaine cleaned out the fire pit in the backyard, making sure there was no debris and a bucket of water sat close by to douse the flames if it got too big for him to handle. He piled up the wood, added a bit of fire starter (in this case, it was good old-fashioned newspaper), and started the fire just as the sun was going down. This was one of the best things about living on the outskirts of Columbus: The back of the house was met with trees, and the forest around them gave them the feeling of really being in a remote area, when in reality, they were ten minutes from everything.

"Cool," Josh mumbled as he watched Blaine start the fire. Ashley leaned forward to get a better look, but was stopped from burning all her hair off by Jessica pulling her back slightly.

"Thanks," Ashley muttered, the only word Blaine had heard from her all day. She really was a quiet one. Jessica flashed her a huge smile, and even Josh looked pretty happy. Apparently Ashley didn't talk much even around her own friends.

The kids all sat around the fire, thinking their own thoughts for a few minutes, as Blaine carefully tended the flames. When he was satisfied the fire wasn't about to go out any time soon, he sat back on his heels. A door slamming shut pricked his attention, and he grinned as Kurt made his way out to the kids with a couple of plates full of hot dogs. Katherine followed behind carrying two twenty four packs of Coke and Root Beer, and Penny followed _her_ carrying four bags of chips.

"Wow! Thanks, Mr Hummel-Anderson," Josh exclaimed, jumping up to help by grabbing one of the plates from Kurt. Kurt smiled back, placing the other plate on the backyard table, and motioning to Penny and Katherine it was time to return back inside.

"Mmmm, food," Carter's stomach growled loudly, and they all burst into laughter upon hearing it. They proceeded to dig in, and once they were done, and all full to bursting, Blaine went inside to put away the leftovers, and grab a special treat for later.

"Jessica, your dads are really amazing to let you have a sleepover," Sarah mentioned as they all sat quietly, contemplating the fire. Jessica nodded carefully. "My parents would never have allowed something like this. Maybe if it had all been girls, but not co-ed. And definitely not a camp out. My dad was completely hopeless when it came to anything outdoors. He was a computer programmer. Mom was…" She took a deep breath, as though forcing herself to go on. "Mom was a teacher. I was home schooled until she died." Sarah's eyes got that faraway look again as she remembered her parents. She looked at Josh. "What about you?" Josh blinked back, surprised at the question.

"My parents are still around. Dad's in the military and Mom volunteers." Carter snorted, but Josh didn't take offence. "I know. It's weird, right? But she says it makes her feel important now that I don't need her so much. It's like she has to feel needed by somebody, all the time. It makes her feel special. I don't know why, but my parents are just… normal, I guess." Josh finished, his eyes looking around at all the people around him. He shrugged and looked toward Ashley, whose wide eyes betrayed her fears. "Your turn, Ash. What's your family like?" The shy brunette blushed in the glow of the firelight, shrugging carefully.

"I don't see them much." Ashley was barely audible, and the rest of the group unconsciously leaned forward to catch what she was saying. "I was raised by my Nanny. Well, a succession of them, really. I didn't like to play much, I just read my books. They thought I was weird." Her huge, hazel eyes blinked, making Jessica think of a wise old barn owl. "When I turned twelve, they decided I didn't need a Nanny anymore, and sent them away. Then I was sent to public school." She shrugged again, and fell silent, as everyone there pondered that. "Jess?" Ashley asked quietly.

"I've never known anyone who had a family like mine. My dads are all I know, but I wouldn't trade them for anything." Jessica started, unsure how to continue. Finally she just rambled. "They got together when I was just a baby. My mom had left Dad, and he had met Daddy in a park. Then he hired Daddy to be _our_ nanny, but somewhere along the way they fell in love. It came as a huge surprise to Dad, who didn't even know he was gay. It took him having a heart attack to realise that he loved Daddy, and it took almost a whole year after that for them to get married." She looked around at her friends, who each watched her carefully. "I love my dads. They are amazing people. I wish you guys had known them when I was growing up." They all sat in silence for another five minutes.

Blaine finally returned, carrying his guitar, and a bag with the ingredients to make s'mores. He set the bag down, advised the kids of what was in it, and told them to help themselves. Then he began strumming his guitar, a gentle tune slipping from his well-practised fingers.

"I know that song, I think…" Sarah's eyes closed as she tried to remember the words. Blaine grinned as he continued strumming, keeping quiet until her eyes popped open in remembrance.

"Black Socks!" Sarah grinned, her eyes shining for the first time the entire evening. Blaine continued grinning as the girl began to sing, softly at first, then with more gusto the further the song went on.

"_Black socks, they never get dirty,_

_The longer you wear them, the stronger they get,_

_Sometimes, I think I should wash them,_

But something keeps telling me no, no, not yet, not yet, not yet, not yet,"

Blaine laughed softly as the girl's eyes opened, looking to him for confirmation of the words. He nodded and she turned to the others.

"It's supposed to be sung as a round. You guys wanna try it?" Carter looked confused, as did Josh. Ashley's head was tilted to the side as though thinking about it, and Jessica eagerly nodded her head.

"What's a round?" Carter asked, his eyes automatically going to Blaine for an explanation.

"A round is where one person sings the first sentence of a song, continuing from there, while the next person sings the same sentence the first person just sang, only one phrase later. Jess, Sarah, do you want to show them?" The girls nodded, so he began:

"_Black, Socks, they never get dirty"_ Blaine sang, winking at Jessica to start the second round. _"The longer you wear them the stronger they get,"_

"_Black socks, they never get dirty," _Jessica giggled softly as she watched the expression on Josh's face go from confused to stunned in a matter of seconds. _"The longer you wear them the stronger they get,"_

They continued singing for a while, Carter and Josh each taking turns in the round as well, until Blaine finally collapsed in laughter. Everyone had huge grins on their faces now, all seriousness saved and put to the side in favour of open silliness.

They continued until nearly two AM. That's when Kurt came out in his pyjamas stating that they may not need a good nights rest, but _he_ spent a great deal of time working on looking good, and without a minimum of eight hours of sleep, he would look like complete hell in the morning. Blaine laughed, which set off the kids, but then they began quieting down as Blaine escorted Kurt back upstairs and tucked him back into bed with a soft kiss good night.

When he returned back downstairs, he found the kids slightly worried. How would the sleeping arrangements go?

"Sarah, Ashley and Josh can sleep in the bigger tent, while Carter and I bunk down in the smaller tent," Jessica explained. Blaine furrowed his eyebrows, trying to reason that one out. Jess shook her head as she explained to her father.

"Carter and Josh are both gay, which means that they can't share a tent, right?" Blaine nodded, that much was able to determine on his own. "Well," Jessica continued. "I'm also gay, so I can't sleep with either of the other girls. Ashley and Sarah are both straight, but Josh isn't, so it's not like they will try and molest him in the night. And they won't do anything with each other, either!" Blaine blinked, as each of the other kids looked at each other with delight.

"Wait, I thought the whole reason you were putting together this little group is because everyone was gay?" Blaine looked back and forth between all of the faces.

"Oh Dad. That's just silly." Jessica giggled, and her friends smiled as well. "Just because someone isn't gay doesn't mean I'm not going to accept and care about them. I care about Sarah and Ashley just as much as I care about Carter and Josh. We're _all_ outcasts, and outcasts have to stick together, right?" The others nodded, all looking at Blaine now. He coloured softly with embarrassment.

"Okay, now that that's figured out then, let's get some sleep. We don't want to wake up your daddy." And with that, everyone fell into their sleeping bags, and soon gentle snores could be heard from both tents. Blaine doused the fire, making certain it was completely out, before positioning himself at the front of his tent.

The kids may be out cold, but he wasn't about to take any chances. And even if this was Ohio, there still could be some nasty wild animals out there, and he was more than happy to stay awake and keep them away. He spent the remainder of the night in silence, watching the stars pass by, seeing a meteor shower, and reflecting on how far his life had come.

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><p><strong>So guys. Tell me what you think? Did I do okay? What do you like? What can I improve on? Let me know! Your reviews are amazing, and I can't wait to read them!<strong>


	14. Chapter 14

**Wow. I am so sorry for the lack of updates! A huge Thank You to everyone who is still around, reading this crazy fic! Life has thrown me a couple of curveballs, and I've been trying to dodge them! **

**Also a huge thanks to both GleekMom (DebraEllen on Twitter) for being the best Beta ever, and CurtWarbler on Twitter who reminded me that I haven't updated in forever! You guys are the best! I don't expect too many people to be reading this chapter tonight, as Glee returns and anyone who is anyone will be watching it! (I won't though... :( I hate not having cable!) I hope when you do get the chance to read it, I don't disappoint!**

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><p>Katherine's heart leapt to her throat as a meaty arm landed across her shoulders. She was at the coffee shop with Penny, who had just ducked out to the bathroom for a quick second. Katherine was holding their place in line. A quick tug by the man beside her brought her into his arms, and a foul odour made her want to choke. Her head turned sideways to avoid his breath, and her hands came up to push against his solid chest.<p>

"Get off of me, you baboon!" She shrieked, shoving him away, although not very far. "Ryan, you are such a Neanderthal!" Katherine flung out her purse, catching the boy's shoulder with one of the corners, knocking him slightly sideways. He grinned at her, shrugging it off.

"Oh come on, baby," he leered, his lips pulling back over his teeth in a crude imitation of a grin. "I know you want it, you know you want it… Let's just get together and see where it takes us, huh?" He waggled his eyebrows at her in what he obviously thought was a seductive manner, and she felt like she might actually be sick. She looked around the coffee shop, wondering if anyone would be willing to help her with this 18-year old ass.

"I don't think so, you creep. Get lost," Katherine affected nonchalance, stepping forward to place her order along with Penny's, who had just returned. Ryan threw his arms around both Penny and Katherine's shoulders, and, leaning between them, told the barista his order as well. Katherine shrugged off his arm, shook her head at the barista to tell her that his order was not to go on their bill, and turned to the young man beside her. Penny slipped from his embrace as well, standing slightly behind her sister, looking scared.

"Look, Ryan. I know you're interested in me. A lot of guys are. And Penny too." She looked back at the 15-year old girl behind her, reaching back and grabbing her hand to impart strength. "But neither one of us is interested in becoming your next conquest. We've heard about what you do to the girls you date. And to be perfectly honest, we both have far too much self-esteem to ever allow you to do that to us. Don't we, Penny?"

"Of course we do," Katherine heard from slightly behind her. She didn't bother to look, but she could still tell how scared Penny was from the shaking of her hand. However, the girl never allowed her voice to portray her fright. "After all, we're cheerleaders. Cheerleaders must be confident in everything they do. It's only natural that you would be attracted to that." Katherine nodded in agreement, then continued.

"You aren't our type, Ryan. You never have been, and you never will be. We much prefer _gentlemen._ And that is something you'll _never_ be." Katherine ended the conversation there, taking her cup of coffee and handing Penny hers. She handed a ten to the barista, and advised her to keep the change. The woman's eyes narrowed as she watched the two girls interact with the older boy. Abruptly, she turned away to make a phone call, her eyes never leaving the three.

Ryan reached around Penny to grab his cup of coffee, and the younger girl squeaked in fear, scooting sideways and out of his grasp. He chuckled darkly, watching the girls intently as they made their way over to a booth. He laid a five on the counter, and walked over to the booth as well. Both girls looked up as he approached, Penny with wide, frightened eyes, and Katherine with a distinct scowl.

"Seriously, Ryan, bug off!" Katherine's voice was laced with steel as she took in the man looming beside her sister.

"Penny likes it, don't you, short stuff?" Ryan's hand swept over Penny's hair, her auburn curls bouncing slightly under his thick fingers. Her green eyes went wide and she jumped back in the booth to get away from him. However, this gave him the perfect excuse to sit beside her. He slid in smoothly, making the younger girl jump even further back, scurrying backwards in the seat as far as she could away from him. He laughed.

"Get the hell away from my sister!" Katherine yelled, standing up and poking Ryan in the shoulder. He turned to look at her, and, with a swiftness that startled her, wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her down into his lap in a bone-crushing hug.

"Now, now, little minx," he purred into her ear, holding her tightly as she thrashed around in his grip. "Behave, and you'll get your turn. Penny, here, was first in line…" Still gripping Katherine, he leaned over toward the terrified girl in the booth, and she let out a frightened whimper.

"Get off her, you fucktard!" A sharp voice cut through the café, as a slender, tattooed woman stomped over towards the booth, followed by a taller, muscular man with a mohawk. Penny blinked as she recognised the husky voice of the woman who now stood furiously in front of the booth. She grabbed a hold of Katherine and pulled her to her feet, wrenching her from Ryan's grasp. Katherine spun around crazily, completely off balance, and the man behind the woman held her gently until she regained her equilibrium.

"Santana!" Penny squeaked as Ryan's hand wrapped around her upper arm, dragging her from the booth forcibly. Santana stepped forward, every inch of her bristling with ferocity. Ryan blinked and took a step back from the hellish figure of the advancing woman.

"San, remember that if you get caught beating the crap out of one more guy you'll go back to jail," the man behind her warned in a low voice, although his eyes were nearly as hard as hers as he stared at Ryan.

"So… I don't get caught," growled Santana, taking a step towards the young man. Ryan threw up his hands in surrender, releasing Penny, and darted toward the door. Santana rushed after him, stopping at the door. He made it about ten steps before he was surrounded by a bunch of bikers dressed in black leather. He stopped as Santana gestured towards him, and the men around him closed in. With a final hard look at the frightened young man, Santana turned back towards the girls, and a pitiful wailing from the parking lot began. Ryan was pleading for his life. It was all but ignored by those in the coffee shop. They had seen what he had been about to do to those girls.

"You okay, Penny?" Santana's voice was like silk, but her eyes were as hard as agates. Behind her, Puck was trying not to touch Katherine, who had burst into frightened tears once she had been let go. Penny looked up at Santana, nodding her head softly as she walked around the older woman to comfort her sister.

"These two need to be trained, 'Tana," Puck spoke lowly, his eyes darting around the room in hopes that no one would be able to hear him.

"Dammit, I know that, Puck!" Santana barked back, her meticulously sculpted eyebrows furrowing in frustration. "But what do I tell Porcelain when he finds out I've subjected his daughters to my training?" Puck just shrugged and grinned, and he led the way from the coffee shop, deliberately avoiding the side parking lot, where soft sounds of anguish could still be heard.

They escorted the girls to a row of motorcycles, and ran into the guys who had been "talking" to Ryan a bit earlier. As Santana threw a leg over her bike, she looked at one of the guys. He shrugged sheepishly at her.

"After the first punch to the gut, he folded like an accordion and swore up and down he would never, _ever_ touch a girl who didn't want it again. It was pathetic, really. I figure he's never been in a real fight in his life. Then he proceeded to retch all over the side of the building, and then he pissed himself. I figure, if it ever so happens that he doesn't do what he's told, we have ourselves a couple of very musical birds that would likely sing quite nicely if asked." He gestured towards Penny and Katherine, who had managed to stop crying and was looking around furtively at the bikers surrounding her. The others clambered on to their bikes and left, leaving only Santana and Puck with Katherine and Penny.

"Good. Penny, give me your phone. You too, Kat." As the girls handed over their phones, she punched in a number and passed it back. "This is me. I'm going to tell you right now; if you _ever_ need anything, just call me. I don't give a fuck if it's morning, noon or night, you call me. Puck and I will be there for you, no matter what." Puck's eyes widened slightly as she gave that promise, then narrowed and he nodded too.

"Right," Puck agreed, as eloquent as ever.

"But who are you?" Katherine's eyes had gotten bigger and bigger as Santana made her little speech, and she finally grabbed the courage to ask. Penny hugged her tight, and gestured to Santana and Puck.

"Remember how I told you that Daddy took me to meet someone when I was caught smoking? Santana was the one he took me to see. And Puck was there too." Katherine coughed slightly as Santana pulled out a cigarette and lit it, blowing the smoke towards them as she rested on her bike.

"I can see why you haven't been caught smoking since." Katherine bit her tongue, her cheeks blushing as she realised what she had just said. Santana, however, looked mildly proud of herself as she blew smoke at them again, forcing them to walk apart just a bit.

"Daddy seems to think she's… well, not trustworthy, per se. More like, she's constant. Almost dependable. _Should _we trust her? Probably not. But I'm going to anyway. Daddy does." Katherine's eyebrows lifted in surprise, and they turned toward the two adults, who now sat on their bikes, talking quietly.

"Why do you call Daddy Porcelain?" Katherine asked, her eyes flitting from face to face as she judged the two people before her. Puck began to chuckle, and Santana smirked.

"You've seen your Daddy's skin, right?" Katherine nodded, along with Penny. Daddy didn't go out into the sun much: he had a tendency to burn spectacularly. "Well, it was actually a name Coach Sylvester gave him when he was on the Cheerios." Penny gasped, as Katherine frowned.

"What's the Cheerios?" Katherine asked. Penny smiled as she answered quickly.

"Coach Sylvester used to coach them. They were the best cheerleaders in Ohio, right Puck?" The older man grinned and nodded. "But you never told me _Daddy_ had been a Cheerio! What was _that_ like?" Puck chuckled softly.

"Must admit, if I were into guys, I would have said he was the hottest thing at McKinley," Puck confessed, leaning back on his bike and blowing smoke rings. Both girls gasped this time, and even Santana raised an eyebrow at him. "What? That getup fit him like a glove. Showed off _all_ the right angles," Puck chuckled again as the girls' faces flushed bright red.

"God, Noah. You were such a perv back then…" Both girls gasped again, whirling quickly around as Kurt rounded the corner, striding quickly toward them. Puck's face went three shades redder, and he coughed quickly to hide his embarrassment. Now it was Santana's turn to chuckle, as Blaine came round the corner as well.

"Hello Santana, Puckerman." Blaine's eyes wandered quickly over the two before his gaze swept over his girls. "Hello, my girls. Are you two all right?" He leaned forward and hugged each girl quickly, patting arms and backs to make sure they weren't hurt. "We got a call from Angela that you two were being harrassed? By some boy?"

"We're fine, Dad." Penny promised, hugging Blaine back and then reaching out for a hug from Kurt. "Santana's friends took care of that loser. He's a slime ball. Daddy, when were you going to tell us you were on the Cheerios?" Kurt's eyes widened, and his cheeks pinked as he looked threateningly at Puck and Santana.

"I was actually hoping that you two and your sister never heard about that," Kurt answered honestly. Blaine's face began to redden too, and they stole a quick glance at each other. Puck began laughing uproariously, and even Santana let out a loud whoop.

"Wanky!" Santana laughed as Kurt stalked over to Puck, intent on pushing the laughing man over, bike or no bike.

"No!" Puck shouted in between the laughter. "Don't do it, man!" But Kurt just kept pushing. Instead of the entire bike falling over, Puck just fell off, clutching his sides as the laughter just kept coming. Kurt stood above him, watching, and finally began to chuckle a bit himself. After all, from Puck's point of view, it was actually kind of funny. Soon, everyone was laughing, including Blaine and Santana. Once the laughter had died down a bit, Santana suddenly turned serious on them. Blaine and Puck pulled the girls into the coffee shop and Santana whirled on Kurt.

"Kurt," Kurt looked at Santana, his eyes open in surprise. He wasn't sure, but he didn't think she had called him by his real name since high school.

"Yeah?" He answered softly, watching Blaine pull Puck along, offering him a biscotti as he joked about something that made Puck grin widely. Kurt smiled as he watched his husband and his friend getting along so well. There had been a time when Blaine and Puck hadn't liked each other at all.

"They have to learn, Kurt." Santana's voice was soft, but the words she said were so important that Kurt would never have been able to miss them. He sighed softly, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he contemplated the idea.

"I know, 'Tana. I don't like it, but I know." Together they watched Blaine cuddle the two girls close to him, watching Puck's face as he watched Blaine with his girls. "Hey, Santana, why did you and Puck never have kids? I know you would have liked to," He turned to face Santana, who looked back at him with no walls, no defenses, an open book, as she had always been to him. She shrugged, her eyes full of pain for what had never been.

"After what happened with him and Quinn, with Beth, and Shelby, and Quinn's accident; I'm not sure it would have been a good idea. He was almost as damaged as I was, Hummel. When we started the bar, I just naturally assumed kids were out of the question. After all, neither one of us really wanted the other; like I said before, we settled. And even though having sex with him is as natural as breathing, it still wouldn't be right. I don't want to bring a kid into the world where they aren't loved by parents who love each other, too." Santana's eyes took on a shimmery quality, and Kurt reached out to hold her gently. A single tear slid down her cheek, but she brushed it away quickly.

"You still have time, 'Tana…" Kurt offered, but Santana pulled away, regaining her composure, and with it, her sarcastic defense mechanism.

"Yeah, right. That's about as likely as you going back to Lima and working for your Dad. Never gonna happen, Porcelain. Besides, can you see Puck trading in his hog for a minivan? Not bloody likely!" Santana let out a sharp bark of laughter to cover the pain evident in her eyes, and stepped from his hold. "C'mon, Hummel. That's twice I saved your kids' lives. You owe me a coffee!" And together they walked into the shop, leaving the rest of the conversation for later.

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><p>"Ladies and gentlemen, I want to welcome you to your first Kung Fu lesson. Step one: In this building, I am your teacher, also known as 'Shifu'. My word is law. If I tell you to do something, you do it. If you do not, you are punished. If it is not done immediately, you are punished. If it is not done correctly, you are corrected. If it is still not done correctly, it means you are wasting my time and the time of everyone around here by <em>not. Paying. Attention!<em>"

Penny guiltily flicked her eyes back to Santana standing before the group, dressed in a white uniform, with a black sash tied around her waist. Puck was to her right, a step behind, dressed similarly. Unlike his usual laughing demeanor, he was all business at the moment. His eyes roamed disapprovingly over both Penny and Katherine, who had been chatting quietly while Santana went over the rules. Jessica, however, was paying avid attention, as were Carter, Ashley, Sarah, and Josh. Kurt and Blaine stood over to one side, observing for the moment, both dressed in white uniforms as well. Kurt wore a blue colored sash, while Blaine wore a green sash with a stripe.

"You are here because we've discovered that each of you needs to be able to defend yourselves. This is a special class, designed specifically for you. Puck and I will teach you all everything we can to make sure that you are able to carry your own weight in a fight. We will also be teaching you discipline," Santana's eyes focused on Carter, who seemed positively delighted that he was going to learn how to fight.

"Since both Blaine and Kurt are higher levels than the rest of you, they will be offering support and demonstrations. I do believe that a quick demonstration is in order now." Santana gestured to the two adults, who moved smoothly to the center of the dojo, taking their stances and preparing for the sparring session. It had been a while, so Santana started them out with a couple of easy moves.

"Take it easy to begin with, gentlemen," Santana murmured, before waving her hand between the two, signalling the start of the match.

Blaine took the first opportunity to strike, his arm coming up in a quick jab, followed by a swift block by Kurt. Blaine backed away and circled around, Kurt following his every movement with his eyes, keeping Blaine's hands in view at all times.

Kurt slipped forward and "Planted the Tree", stepping on Blaine's toes and front of his foot, causing his balance to be impaired. At the same time, Kurt's other leg swept forward, slipping between Blaine's legs and forcing him further off balance. Blaine slapped the mat as he went down, "tapping out" to allow him to break the fall without hurting himself.

Kurt backed away for a moment, while Blaine regained his feet. He looked at Santana, who gave him the go-ahead to continue. He stepped back into the ring, set his stance, and the match continued.

Kurt attacked this time, a flurry of jabs centred around Blaine's sternum. Blaine's hands were just a fraction of a bit faster than Kurt's, deflecting each punch quickly and smoothly. The looks of concentration on each of their faces was noted by everyone there; Kurt and Blaine were completely focused on their sparring, not paying heed to anyone in the ring besides Santana, who was refereeing.

Kurt seemed to be getting slightly winded by all the attacking, and Blaine took advantage of the situation by launching his own attack, putting Kurt on the defensive. Kurt, however, simply glided back, allowing Blaine to place all of his effort in the attack, regaining his focus. Once Kurt felt that Blaine was in the right spot, he slid his leg out and tripped Blaine, throwing him to the mat yet again.

"Oof," Blaine puffed as he forgot to tap out, landing hard on his back. Kurt simply stared down at him, smirking. He did back off a bit though, allowing Blaine to get back up. Santana watched them as well, making sure Blaine was all right before allowing them to proceed once more.

This time, Kurt was instantly on the offensive, launching a swift series of kicks toward Blaine's head, forcing the shorter man backwards with every step. Blaine's blocks were adequate, although you could tell just by watching that Blaine simply wasn't quite up to Kurt's skill level. As Kurt continued to force Blaine back, the members of the little audience sat mesmerised. Neither Katherine, Penny nor Jessica had ever known their parents were even athletically inclined, let alone able to perform martial arts to this extent. They watched as the blows continued to rain down on Blaine, and they were certain that Kurt was, yet again, going to conquer his husband.

Blaine surprised the hell out of all of them. Slipping his foot out sideways, he moved around Kurt, slipping in close behind, and wrapped his arm around Kurt's stomach. With a move straight out of a kung fu textbook, he simply lifted the other man above his head, and flipped him over to the mat behind him, in a throw that would have made Bruce Lee proud. As Kurt tapped out, breaking his fall with grace, the seven teenagers leapt to their feet, cheering wildly. Blaine turned and faced Kurt once more, never breaking his focus although a small smile played across his lips.

Santana stepped between the two, declaring the match over.

"Kurt may have won the technical side of things, Blaine, but that throw was spectacular! Well done." Blaine and Kurt bowed respectfully to one another, and then to Santana. As they moved slowly to one side, they could overhear Carter whispering something softly to Josh. It sounded a whole lot like "Remind me never to get on their bad side."

Kurt and Blaine exchanged a glance, both smiling openly, and proceeded to assist Santana with showing the teens stances, basic kicks and punches. By the time the class was over, everyone was exhausted, but incredibly proud of what they had accomplished.

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><p><strong>There you have it... again, hope it wasn't too bad. I think this fic will be finishing up soon, I have other fics I need to start writing! <strong>


	15. Chapter 15

_**Well guys, it's been over a year since I last posted on this story, and I decided it was ime to finish it. I apologise so much for letting it go on this long. I kept thinking of different ways to extend the story, make it better. But finally, I decided she's old enough. She needs to be finished now. So here is the final chapter. **_

_**I want to send my deepest thanks to my beta, GleekMom, without whom I would never have had the courage to keep writing, and who keeps me on track, even when I've written something incredibly stupid. LOL. Thanks to all of you readers out there, who continually are sending me little "reminders" that you are still following the story, and want to know what happens. And thank you to Reed, Grasshopper, Porcelain and Wildcat, owners of the "Klaine Fanfics" page on Facebook. Y**__**ou guys are amazing. Especially Reed, who actually promoted Lullaby Lane on the page, and I had a slight fangirl moment! HAHA!**_

_**Now, without further ado, the final chapter. **_

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><p>Kurt reached out and carefully straightened Blaine's bow tie, his husband giving him a wry grin as he stood sheepishly.<p>

"I swear Blaine, in fifteen years you _still _haven't learned to tie your own bow tie?" Kurt giggled softly, and a small blush crept up Blaine's neck, as it always did when Kurt teased him. His eyes lowered, and Kurt could have stood there all day just counting Blaine's beautiful eyelashes.

"Okay, come on, you Romeo's, the ceremony is gonna start soon, and the blushing bride is having a bit of a freak out." Blaine raised his eyes and smiled gently at Santana, and together they followed her to the second floor, where Jessica was sitting in front of her vanity, a pair of tears sliding down her face.

"Hey, now. None of that," Kurt murmured, slipping in next to his beautiful daughter, taking a tissue and dabbing carefully around Jess' face. "Santana did an amazing job on your make-up, do you want her to have to start over?" A small sob escaped from Jessica's throat, and she launched herself at her father.

Kurt folded his arms around Jess, and Blaine stepped forward to place a gentle hand on her back, rubbing soothingly.

"It's okay, Jess. You're all right. Shh, now." Blaine kneeled in his suit, ever mindful of wrinkles, and rested his arms loosely around his daughter and his husband. Together they cuddled their daughter, who sat in her chair, her soft sobs echoing through the room. When Blaine placed his hand on Jessica's bare knee, he realised she was clothed only in her undergarments. He raised his eyebrow at Kurt.

"Sweetie, what happened? Tell us what's going on in your beautiful little brain." Blaine smiled winningly up at his daughter, who hiccuped, and began slowly.

"I was sitting here, watching Santana do my make up, and I realised that this is it, you know? This is where my life is going, there is no stopping it. What if I can't do it? What if I screw everything up and Sandy hates me and we get divorced within a year and it's all my fault?" Her tears began flowing again, and Kurt cuddled her close to him once more.

"Oh Honey." Kurt leaned forward, kissing the top of Jessica's head gently. "You just have the pre-wedding jitters. How long have you known Sandy now? Almost five years?" He paused as Jess' head bobbed softly.

"We met at university. First year." Her mumbled confession confirmed Kurt's question.

"And you guys have been together for nearly three years?" Kurt questioned again, feeling her nod against him again. "You've been living together for almost two years, and this wedding has been planned for almost that whole time. I don't think you could screw it up at all, honey. Sandy has been waiting for you her whole life. And you've been waiting for her."

A deep breath sounded from the woman, and she pulled her head up to look in her fathers' bright bluish green eyes.

"Do you really think so?" Her whispered voice nearly broke Blaine's heart, as he watched the love of his life interact with his amazing daughter.

"I know so. Now, I think Santana can save your make-up. Would you like your Dad to fix your hair?" Blaine smiled hopefully, and Jessica gave a small giggle.

"Yes, please." Blaine stood once more, manoeuvring behind his daughter and running his fingers through the soft, honey blond strands. He had been picturing what he would do if he had been given the chance to do Jessica's hair, and his imagination began to flow into the young woman's hair. He braided and curled, and after a few mishaps, presented his creation to the beautiful bride.

"Oh, Dad!" Jessica cried out, her hand reaching out to touch the amazing masterpiece on her scalp. Blaine blushed softly, as Jess turned in her seat, trying to see the back. Kurt held up a small mirror, showing Jess the back, and her breath caught in her throat.

"It's beautiful!" Blaine swatted Jessica's hand away gently, stopping her from mussing up the beautiful braiding he had just completed.

"Yes, Honey, it is, but if you touch it, it won't be when it comes time for you to walk down the aisle." Kurt smiled softly, backing up swiftly to allow Santana to repair the damage that the crying had done.

When she was finished, Kurt stepped forward, holding the gorgeous wedding dress he had designed. He hadn't been able to make the dress himself, but the seamstress had been so impressed by his work, she asked him to design another dress for her daughter, who was taking part in her quinceanera in a few months.

As Kurt slid the dress over his daughters' petite frame, he reflected on the past fifteen years. From the cold fall day he had met Blaine and the girls, to the day Blaine had his heart attack and Kurt had discovered he loved this man. From the day he had adopted the girls, to the day they had started school. From the talk he'd had with them about their first periods, to Jessica's coming out. From the group of friends Jess had gathered in high school, to the marriages of her sisters. Now, it was his youngest daughters' turn, and he couldn't be happier for her.

He buttoned the dress up the back, as a silent tear slid down his face. Blaine saw it, and gently kissed it from his cheek. Kurt blinked, his head tilting against Blaine's lips, drawing comfort and love from his husband. Together they watched Santana put the finishing touches on Jessica's dress, and then their daughter twirled gently for them.

"You are so beautiful," Blaine's voice caught in his throat, watching the joy on his daughters' face, as she reached up and hugged him, careful not to tear the delicate fabric. She reached out behind her as well, and Kurt stepped into the embrace, cuddling both Jessica and Blaine close.

"Five minutes." Puck stepped through the door, admiring the beautiful tableau the family made in the soft sunshine that streamed through the window. "You look hot, baby girl!" Jessica blushed a deep red, still not used to having Puck compliment her. He signaled her to twirl, and she stepped back from her Dads, grasped the sides, and twirled for him, the bottom of the skirt blooming out gently. Her cheeks stayed a soft pink, as Puck walked up, kissing her gently on the cheek.

"I have to go help out with putting people in their places, but I want you to know that you look amazing, baby girl, and I love you very much." Jessica blushed once more, as Puck left the room. She turned back to her Dads, a small smile on her face.

"I'm glad we made him the girls' Godfather," Kurt giggled, slipping his hand into Blaine's gently, his thumb caressing the back of Blaine's hand. Blaine smiled back and nodded in agreement.

A small silver bell rang out, indicating that it was time to start. Blaine and Kurt smiled once more at each other, holding out their arms as Jessica moved forward. She slid one arm in each of theirs, took a deep breath, and together they began the trek downstairs to stand before the priest.

* * *

><p>The ceremony was beautiful, and as Kurt sat watching his daughter get married to the woman she loved, Blaine watched him. His mind flitted over the past fifteen years, to all of the trials and tribulations, stopping on certain memories.<p>

He lingered on the first day he met Kurt. The adorable way Katherine had pronounced him hot, and Blaine hadn't the heart to contradict her. His memories flashed forward to Katherine and Penny plastering huge Band Aid's to Kurt's face, playing doctor.

He flushed slightly, remembering the first time he had jerked off to the thought of Kurt, right after he had kissed him for the first time. Granted, it had been due to a very sensual dream, but he still remembered the embarrassment of jerking off to the memory of the beautiful young man who was taking care of his children.

He had vague memories of being nursed through a cold, wondering if he was going to die, then discovering that he had contracted chicken pox at the same time as the girls. He remembered waking up in Kurt's arms for the first time, falling asleep together on the couch after being awake almost the entire night.

He relived their shared embarrassment and frustration as they tried to explain what being gay was to the girls. He remembered being so angry about Kurt going on a date with some guy, then being told that Kurt was in love with someone else.

He recalled encountering Andrea, and kissing Kurt for the second time, right there, in front of everyone. He remembered the confession he had made when they had gotten back to his apartment. He reminisced about their first date, and what a horrible mistake the restaurant had been. He smiled as he remembered how much they didn't care though. They were happy because they were together.

He relived that night, having lost Katherine and Penny, and the mad scramble trying to find them, along with his wholehearted relief at finding them, safe and sound. He remembered with a flush, the first time they had made love, his shyness evident as he fumbled his way through for the first time. He blushed once more as he recollected Kurt walking him through preparing him.

Then he slowly giggled as he remembered the following morning, when Katherine and Penny had found them curled up in each other's arms, naked as the day they were born. Kurt turned to him for a second, smiling sweetly before turning back to the ceremony. Blaine's thoughts lingered over the day he'd had his heart attack, and the vague memories of Kurt kneeling over him, begging him to hold on.

His thoughts floated over the days spent in the hospital, when Andrea had taken his girls away, and the fight they'd had to get them back. And he recollected his wedding to the man he loved, and tears began to form in his eyes. He reached over to Kurt, and laced his fingers with his husband. He leaned forward for just a second, planting a gentle kiss on his lovers' cheek.

"I love you." Blaine whispered to Kurt as Jess said "I do", causing a soft blush to creep up Kurt's neck. His eyes lowered demurely, and he looked back to Blaine, a loving smile lingering on his lips.

"I love you too. Now pay attention." Kurt whispered back, his eyes flitting back to the beautiful view at the front of the living room. Blaine thought back to when his parents had passed away, leaving them a fortune, allowing them to build this amazing house, and pay for the incredible weddings the girls had celebrated.

Katherine had been married to her college Psychology professor. Brian was sweet and gentle with her, and was the only person able to pull her from her depressed moods sometimes. He was highly intelligent, and he forced her to think about things rather than simply react to situations in her life. She loved him deeply, and they'd had a little boy in the seven years they'd been together. His name was Evan, and he was the delight of both his grandparents and his great grandparents.

Penny had decided to become a veterinarian. She had studied long and hard, and had met Keith in her last year. He had been studying to become a Farrier, a person who specialized in the care and maintenance of horses' hooves. When they had met, Penny had taken a couple of extra courses, and together they had opened a successful large animal practice. They had three children already, a girl and two boys, plus two dogs and several barn cats. Last Christmas, they had given Evan one of the kittens from a litter from one of the barn cats, and he had been absolutely delighted.

Jessica had become a head editor at the Columbus Dispatch. She had started out writing in high school, helping create a PFLAG and Gay-Straight alliance, as well as being a reporter for the high school newspaper. When she graduated, she had gone on to University to study journalism, and had gotten an internship at the Dispatch. She had met Sandy there, and together they had traveled all over the world, researching important news for the paper. When they had finally returned home, it had been Sandy that had asked Jessica out first, and they'd been together ever since. Jessica had climbed through the ranks of the paper, finally taking over as a head editor when one of the original editors had retired.

Feeling a soft squeeze to his hand, Blaine looked up, realizing the ceremony had ended, and everyone was standing, cheering and clapping. Kurt pulled him up, and Blaine let out a laugh, clapping and cheering with everyone else. As Jessica and Sandy made their way down the aisle, he stopped Kurt with a quick hand to his waist. Kurt turned to Blaine, with soft tears shining in his eyes.

"I love you, baby." Blaine murmured, leaning close and pressing a gentle kiss to Kurt's lips. Kurt sighed softly, kissing back, and Blaine could feel the delightful heat as it crept up Kurt's face as he blushed. When they separated, Kurt blinked softly, his heart pounding.

"I love you, too, Blaine." Kurt whispered into Blaine's ear as they embraced, then turned and followed their families out the back door, to the huge backyard that had been set up for the reception.

A receiving line had started, with Jess and Sandy at the front, followed by Sandy's parents and a gap where Kurt and Blaine were supposed to be standing, then the Maid of Honor and the Best Man, and then the bridesmaids and groomsmen. They were ushered into place by a delighted Puck, who was having far too much fun making sure everyone was in their places.

When the greetings were over, they drifted towards one of the tables, looking to sit for just a few minutes while the brides went to change into something a bit less formal, and the reception could really begin. A soft cough sounded close by, and they both looked up, pleased to see Jessica's Maid of Honor and Best Man both standing close by.

"Carter! Ashley! How are you both?" Kurt exclaimed, standing once more, and pulling Blaine up to greet them. They both smiled softly.

"We're doing great, Mr. Hummel-Anderson," Kurt waved his hand, his eyebrow lifting as Carter blushed. "I mean, Kurt. We've been doing great." He rubbed his hand gently over Ashley's distended belly. She smiled at him, her love for her best friend showing in her eyes.

"I'm due any day now, and Carter and Jesse can't wait! They've been debating on who gets to hold their daughter first. I still think I should be allowed to hold her first, since I'm carrying her!" Ashley chortled as Carter's face turned red, but he was saved by a tall, handsome young man stepping up behind him, wrapping his arms around Carter lovingly. He planted a soft kiss on Carter's cheek, then leaned forward and touched Ashley's belly reverently.

"I still can't believe you offered to be a surrogate for us, Ash," Jesse murmured, tears standing in his eyes. "You are amazing, you know that?" Ashley giggled once more, and caught his hand, giving him the same look of love she had bestowed on Carter.

"I know." With that statement, everyone there burst out laughing.

Once the laughter had abated, the happy newlyweds appeared at the back door, and everyone there raised another cheer. As the girls moved through the crowd, Blaine saw the last person he had ever imagined that would be there, even though he had sent out an invitation at his daughters' request. He moved away from Kurt and the crowd, and made his way to the back door, stopping carefully beside the woman he hadn't spoken to in over seventeen years.

"I can't believe you showed." He murmured softly, making sure the only person who heard him was the woman standing at his side.

"I'm not sure I should even be here." Andrea whispered, her panicked eyes fluttering around the backyard, taking in the happy couple and their friends.

"I'm glad you are, Andrea. Jessica really wanted you to be here. I'm sorry I couldn't convince Katherine and Penny to invite you to their weddings." Andrea ducked her head, a blush covering her cheeks.

"I'm sorry too, Blaine. I know it's too little, too late. But I am." Her tear filled eyes looked up at him, silently pleading.

"I know you are. I just wish you had come around long before now." Blaine's eyes traveled back over his family, both he and Andrea silent for now.

"Mom?" Jessica's voice floated over the crowd, and everyone stopped. All those invited knew that Katherine, Penny and Jess' mom had been out of the picture for a long while. Jessica strode forward, stopping carefully a few feet from the mother she had never known.

Katherine and Penny flanked Jess, and Andrea found herself looking into the eyes of her fully-grown daughters.

"Y-You look beautiful, Jess." Andrea stammered, her heart thumping wildly in her chest as she faced the girls she hadn't seen for so long. "I… I'm so proud of you." A silent tear slid down Andrea's face as she looked back and forth at them. Jessica motioned to Sandy to come forward, and she held her wife's hand as she introduced them.

"Mom, I want you to meet Sandy, my wife." She giggled softly as she looked deeply into her wife's eyes, the love that shone between them glowing as brightly as the afternoon sun.

"It's…" Andrea took a deep breath, trying to control her tears. "It's an honor to meet the person who has made my baby so happy." She reached forward and shook Sandy's hand carefully, and Jessica began to cry.

"Baby, don't cry, please." Sandy wrapped her arms around her wife as she sobbed.

"I'm okay," Jess mumbled, taking the handkerchief Blaine handed her and dabbing her eyes. "I just… I never expected you to be here, Mom. Especially not… for me." Andrea felt her heart break for her daughter, knowing full well that Jess never expected her to be there because she was gay.

"I was wrong, Jess. I've been wrong for so very long. I am so sorry that I abandoned you…" Andrea was crying openly now, and she stepped forward. As soon as she did, Jessica ran into her arms, and they held each other while they cried. Katherine and Penny exchanged a glance, and they moved forward as well, wrapping their arms around their sister and mother as they cried.

Blaine moved back to Kurt's side, seeing tears standing in his husbands' eyes. He slid his hand up Kurt's back, rubbing gently as a single tear slid down his cheek.

"They still love you, you know," Blaine began, worried that Kurt felt left out. Kurt waved his fears away.

"I know they do, Blaine. I just wish Andrea had come to her senses long before now, you know? It would have made them a lot happier growing up, knowing their mother. I know what it's like to grow up without a Mom, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone." He turned to his husband as the celebration continued, Jess showing off her mother to everyone there.

"I love you, Blaine. I love you more than anything in this world. I'm so honored to have you." Kurt leaned into Blaine, wrapping his arms around Blaine's neck, as Blaine's fingers found their way to Kurt's hips. Blaine pulled them closer, closing the distance and placing a soft, loving kiss to his husbands' lips.

"What I know, Kurt, is that I love you. Now and forever. And I will be the very best husband I can be. Through all the bad times, and the best times. I'm yours." Blaine whispered the vows he had said at their wedding, causing Kurt's eyes to open wide as he remembered.

"Dearest Blaine." Kurt whispered, remembering his vows as if they were only yesterday. "I'm indebted to you. The friendship, the companionship, the love. I was lost, when I first met you. I was searching for something, and I never realized that I wasn't truly happy. You allowed me to share your life, your family, and your home, and for that, I am eternally grateful." He leaned forward, and placed his lips gently against Blaine's in a recreation of their wedding ceremony. When they pulled back, they could hear cheering all around them, and they opened their eyes to see the smiling, loving faces of the people around them watching them.

"I can't believe you guys remember your exact wedding vows." Katherine sobbed into her handkerchief, snuggling in to Brian's side. Blaine bit his lip gently, a pink blush covering his cheeks.

"I, ahem, may have taken the liberty of looking them up yesterday, to make sure I remembered them right." Blaine muttered, making Kurt laugh, along with most of the guests. "But I didn't think we'd become part of the spectacle!" He laughed as well, as Kurt's face flushed too.

"Hey guys, who's ready to party!?" Santana's voice came over the microphone, and every eye there turned to look at her, up on stage. "Now that I have your attention, I have a small announcement to make. There is one final present that has yet to be given, and without further ado, I am pleased to present, Blaine Warbler!"

Kurt gasped as a bunch of men surrounded Blaine and himself, pulling Blaine from his place beside Kurt and ushering him up onto the stage. They pulled off his jacket and replaced it with a navy blazer with red piping, and replaced his bow tie with a red and navy striped tie instead.

Blaine smiled, his show choir face coming out as he took his place up in front of the microphone.

"Thanks Santana. Now, I've done this for both Katherine and Penny, and Jessica it's your turn. I want to welcome Sandy into the crazy world that is our family, and the best way I know of to do that, is by performing. So, Jess and Sandy, this song is for you."

Kurt slipped to just in front of the stage, watching his lover as he performed. No matter how old Kurt and Blaine got, he would never tire of seeing the way his love danced and sang in front of an audience. He watched as Wes, Nick, Jeff and the rest of the Warblers got into place behind Blaine.

"_There's two things I know for sure. _

_She was sent here from heaven, and she's daddy's little girl. _

_As I drop to my knees by her bed at night, She talks to Jesus, and I close my eyes._

_And I thank God for all the joy in my life, But most of all... _

_Butterfly kisses after bedtime prayer. _

_Stickin' little white flowers all up in her hair. _

_"Walk beside the pony daddy, it's my first ride." _

_"I know the cake looks funny, daddy, but I sure tried." _

_Oh, with all that I've done wrong, I must have done something right. _

_To deserve a hug every morning, and butterfly kisses at night. _

_Sweet sixteen today. _

_She's looking like her momma a little more every day. _

_One part woman, the other part girl. _

_To perfume and makeup, from ribbons and curls. _

_Trying her wings in a great big world. But I remember... _

_Butterfly kisses after bedtime prayer. _

_Stickin' little white flowers all up in her hair. _

_"You know how much I love you daddy, but if you don't mind, _

_I'm only going to kiss you on cheek this time." _

_With all that I've done wrong, I must have done something right. _

_To deserve a hug every morning, and butterfly kisses at night. _

_All the precise time. _

_Like the wind, the years go by. _

_Precious butterfly, spread your wings and fly. _

_She'll change her name today. _

_She'll make a promise, and I'll give her away. _

_Standing in the bride room just staring at her. _

_She asked me what I'm thinking, and I said, "I'm not sure, _

_I just feel like I'm losing my baby girl." _

_Then she leaned over... and gave me... _

_Butterfly kisses, with her mama there. _

_Stickin' little white flowers all up in her hair. _

_"Walk me down the aisle daddy, it's just about time." _

_"Does my wedding gown look pretty daddy?" _

_"Daddy don't cry." _

_With all that I've done wrong, I must have done something right. _

_To deserve a hug every morning, and butterfly kisses. _

_I couldn't ask God for more, man, this is what love is. _

_I know I've gotta let her go, but I'll always remember. _

_Every hug in the morning, and butterfly kisses..."_

* * *

><p><strong><em>There you have it, ladies and gentlemen. I hope that you enjoyed this final chapter in the lives of our favorite Nanny and his wonderful husband. Please feel free to review, you know I always love to read them, and I do try to reply as much as I can. <em>**


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